they And thus may we say of them they were once a true Parliament at their first constitution and meeting but now they swarm so much in evils are guilty of acting and authorizing so much wickednesse that they have plainly un-Parliamented themselves and are become no true Parliament but even the Throne and Synagogue of Satan Besides a true and compleat Parliament as every one knows consists of Head and Members of King and People and as a man without an Head is no true man so a Parliament without the King is no true Parliament Indeed if the King should come to Westminster and sit amongst them and they behave themselves towards him yet at last as becometh Christians and Members of that Honourable Court I know no reason but they may by the Kings mercy and favour recover again that truly honourable Name and Title Though some affirm when both the Speakers fled from them in regard of these late tumults that according to Law the Parliament was dissolved The true Parliament they say ran away and that which now remaineth is an Adulterous Parliament a very Junto and there must of necessity be a new Writ from the King to the making of a true Parliament But I leave that to be argued by the Lawyers My observation only shall be of Gods Hand in that businesse First that themselves were driven away from the Houses in the same manner as by their procurement the King and His friends were formerly Secondly that the Almighty by his permissive Providence hath exposed them who thought and called themselves a perpetuall Parliament to be denied to be any Parliament at all by their own Adorers and to become a publick scorn and derision by the means or assistance of those that had so many years together paid their devotions to them Let all the world admire Gods wisdom And let all that fear the Lord praise his holy Name And thus all may see whither I have brought these men or rather more properly whither they have brought themselves by this their impertinent and peremptory question How can the King deny us the name of a Parliament They are proved to be no true Parliament by the witnesse of Jesus Christ who is Truth it self by the testimony of S. Paul in a like case by the judgment of all Reformed Churches in Christendome and by the evidence of their own dear selves and faction in their way of opposition unto other parties Wherefore stil may His Majesty in truth and with a good Conscience say as He did at first We again in the presence of Almighty God Our Maker and Redeemer assure the world We have no more thought of making War against Our Parliament then against Our own Children And He may desire stil no longer to enjoy the Protection of Almighty God upon Himself and His Posterity then He and They shal solemnly observe the Laws in defence of Parliaments for as yet He hath done nothing against His high Court of Parliament nor ever wil He for according to His owne acknowledgment He and that are like Hypocrates twins they wil live and die together And let them not die but live O Lord our God Let the King live that Parliaments may not die save thou Him that this Kingdome may still be blessed with them and in thy pitty to this poor Nation break thou in pieces this confederacy of rebellious men who do so earnestly endevour the destruction of both Put thou a period to this false Parliament which they resolve shal be perpetual in despight of Thee O God and of thine Anointed that we may have the benefit of a true one for the mending up of those great breaches which have been made by these Conspirators upon our Religion our Laws and natural Liberties yea and upon our high Court of Parliament it self This grant O thou mighty Majesty of Heaven an Earth for thine own Honour and Justice sake and for the sake of Christ our Saviour Amen A TRUE PARALLEL BETWIXT The Sufferings of our SAVIOUR and our SOVERAIGN in divers particulars TOGETHER WITH 1. A Brotherly Discourse to the Seduced and Oppressed Commons 2. A Ministeriall Admonition to the Troublers of our Israel 3. A Consolatory Speech to the Truly Loyall-Hearted And A Post-script to the Reader There is also prefixed in this Edition a Preface unto the Parallel to give satisfaction to those who took some offence at it By the Author Printed in the Yeere 1648. TO THE READERS Readers I Thought it requisite in this new Edition to prefix a few words to this following Parallel because I understand that some few persons through inadvertencie have taken offence thereat and affirmed of me that out of my zeale to flatter the King I had blasphemed Christ in comparing them thus together Yea some of them upon their bare view of those words in the Title A Parallel between the sufferings of our Saviour and our Soveraigne have presently shot their bolt as men byassed with ignorance and prejudice use to doe and rejected the whole Book as unworthy their further inspection Now though the ready and friendly acceptance which the same hath found with the Church and people of God doth speake me cleare in the opinions of most so that I need not say any thing to vindicate my selfe from the inconsiderate censure of these few yet because Soules are precious things and I am forbidden as a Brother to suffer sin to rest upon any and commanded as a Minister to instruct with meeknesse them that oppose or are contrary minded therefore I must not slightly and with contempt of them passe by their errour as they doe my Booke but will speak somewhat for their satisfaction or better information in the thing which they take offence at The two crimes which at one breath I am charged withall are Blasphemy and Flattery Concerning the first may my Accusers please to know That I understand not the word Parallel as Mathematicians doe though perhaps if I did I should not in the judgement of learned meâ— transgresse much for with them a Parallel is a Parallel be it at as great a distance as betwixt Heaven and Earth but I intend it not in so exact and strict a sense I take it onely in its ordinary acceptance as t is commonly used amongst us viz. for a similitude a likenesse or a resemblance May they also please to consider that the persons betwixt whom the Parallel is made are Christus Dominus Christus Domini our Saviour and our Soveraigne T is true as they object the one is the Eternall Son of GOD and the other a Mortall man yet Christ was Man too and as Man He suffered He was in all Miseries like unto us and therefore sure He cannot Blaspheme that sayes another may in miseries be like to Him Nay every true Christian must hold Parallel with Him the Captaine of our Salvation in such things and be conformable to Him in some measure and degree 't is
respect Herein I have according to the very Letter of it with my power maintained and defended 1. The true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against Popish Tenents and Innovations 2. His Majesties Royal Person Honour and Estate according to mine Allegiance And 3. The Power and Priviledges of Parliament together with the true Rights and Liberties of the Subject Yea I have here endeavoured with all faithfulnesse to vindicate the Dignitie of that High and Supreme Court from the scandall of Rebellion Oppression Injustice and other evils which to its great disgrace have been practised under its venerable Name and thereby so much as in me lieth I have freed it from the merit of that Odium which is wrought in Peoples hearts against it For indeed the very name of Parliament is grown more hatefull to many of the vulgar through their ignorance then ever that of Starre-Chamber or High-Commission was and they wish and pray through their folly that the same may be quite abolished as those others are I have also herein opposed and endeavoured to bring by discovering their wickednesse to condigne punishment those evill workers who by Force Practice Councels Plots Conspiracies and every other way have done things contrary to all those things in the said Protestation contained All which I promised and vowed to do in a lawfull way which is that of my Calling even with the hazard of my life as well as of mine estate which is lost already and this my Conscience sayes I shall not fully do unlesse I publickly own my doings by prefixing my name unto them Thirdly I considered with my self that by concealing my name I should seem in a sort to be ashamed of that Truth which I professe to maintain and of following my Master Christ in his way of detecting Hypocrites and wicked men He saith of himself that in secret he had spoke nothing that is He was no back-biter no whisperer against any in private corners He spake openly against mens evill doings and was never ashamed to acknowledge his own Doctrines And he hath said too that I cannot be his Disciple that is approved indeed unlesse I follow him viz in his very way doing his work after his very manner though I meet with his Crosse in the doing of it which also I must take up chearfully after his example be it with the losse of my life it selfe He lost his before me Fourthly I considered that my Book is likely to prove more serviceable by mine open acknowledgement of it the writings of that couragious and learned Judge Master David Jenkins are believed to have done the more good by the setting his name unto them nor did I think it comely that any man should appeare more resolute for the Law of the Land then the Ministers of Christ are for the Law of their God For mine own part I am sure I should shew my selfe most strangely ungratefull to the Almighty and distrustfull of him after so large an experience as I have had of his mercy and goodnesse if any feare of danger should make me upon this occasion obscure my self My former Books though plain by his gracious blessing were not unfruitfull among many of my Countrymen unto whom my name as of late I perceive is not so distatefull that I should think them unwilling to see it in print again and from any hurt by those that took offence at them my God hath hitherto protected me as he hath often done praised be his Name from the mischiefs of being beaten and pistolled often threatned by some of the prophaner sort of our Cavalleers for my free preaching against their blasphemy and dissolutenesse their selfseeking lust-pleasing and King-neglecting basenesse Now after Davids way of arguing He that delivered me from the Lion and the Beare can also c. He is the same God still if I can but believe He can yea and will preserve in the midst of danger wherefore though it was once in my mind viz. when I was at a great distance both to conceale my name and also to keep out of their reach as may appear by that passage page 275. yet now being returned amongst them I have for these reasons altered my resolution in that particular And again beside these Reasons I had in my heart also these Reasonings What if I do suffer is it not for a King a gracious King to whom I have sworn Allegiance and under whose Protection I have laboured in Gods Vineyard Is it not for a Church a mother-Church that admitted me first Christs Member and afterwards Christs Minister is it not for keeping the Protestation that Protestation tendred to me by the Parliament when it was a Parliament is it not for discharging my Conscience and Office for telling people of their sins according to Gods Command for detecting Hypocrites after Christs own example and shall I by suffering for the same do any other then with Simon of Cyrene help my Saviour bear his Crosse Have I yet resisted unto bloud as many before me have done Ought I not to be willing to lose life it self for my Brethren to redeem them from the wayes of sinne and errour May not haply this their redemption be effected sooner by suffering then by preaching Is not my exclusion and debarment from an appointed place to preach in a kind of a call or setting aside to sufferings Could Saint Paul have wished himself even separate from Christ if on that condition he might have united his Countrymen unto him and should not I be willing to go to Christ for the gaining of mine Am I not Christs own to be disposed of for his service Did not he buy me for that end Did not he honour me with the dignity of being one of his Ministers of purpose that I should bear witnesse of his Truth is it any new thing to suffer for the sake of that Shall I if thereunto called be the first that have attested the same unto the world Beside what advantage will the Adversaries get to themselves by being cruel to me Shal they not rather confirm thereby to the world what I have written of their conditions Nay shall not those whom I have detected onely in the generall by their being angry at me expose themselves to be known particulatim nominatim and shall hey any whit strengthen their Dominion by my ruine Shall they not rather hasten their own thereby Was not the reigne of the Popish Bishops here in Queen Maries dayes the sooner at its period in the judgements of all men for their persecuting those Reverend Bishops and Ministers who opposed their sinnefull wayes and sealed wiâ—â— their bloud that Doctrine and Lyturgie which is now a pulling down in this Kingdome These and such like also were the reasonings of my spirit concerning this matter of prefixing my name to this Vindication But perhaps some of you will say Ad quid perditio haec what needs all this waste of
their very names as well as their acts unto Posterity as Fox hath done the Persecutors in Q. Maries time to their eternall infamie For my selfe I doe not name any person unlesse those that have named themselves in Print already nor doe I speak so expresly of any particular as they in their Libel doe of the King although there is never a villany cruell act or blasphemous expression quoted in this Discourse but the persons by whom spake or done and the places where might have been set down punctually But my opposition is not against Men but Sinne which I hate in all and in the best most I pray for the persons of the worst and I desire all men to joyne with me in so doing for these Reasons First Christ commands us to pray for them that despightfully use us 2. We are Christians in whom as the sight of an enemies misery must awaken pity so of his sinne must kindle Prayer 3. They are our Countrymen as those Israelites were to S. Paul that thirsted for his blood therefore like him we must endeavour their salvation 4. They have deserved this duty at our hands though unawares unto themselves for by their ill usage of us they have thrust us farther under Gods wing then we were before and made us more sensibly to feele the heat of his love and to taste the comfort of his Providence to be better acquainted with God and Christ then ever perhaps we should have been had we alwayes lived at Peace in our possessions Many of us had learned to abound before though not to want but these have taught us that too and to see the vanity and ficklenesse of earthly prosperity they have loosned our hearts much from the world and made us think of heaven more seriously and doth not all this deserve our prayers Nay and farther God expects we should as by this course we may discover a better spirit to be in us then is in them and that we serve a better Master And againe his Gospel being now under foot he looks that we should raise up its honour from the dust againe in praying for these very men according to the tenour of it we have cause to suspect they have sinned the sin against the holy Ghost at least many of them but we are not certaine thereof and therefore we are bound to pray for them this is mine exhortation to all men and the grounds of it upon which I build mine owne practice and let not any think notwithstanding my zeale against mens sins that I dare be otherwise affected then thus unto their persons Last of all if any shall think me worthy of blame for not plainly expressing mine own name seeing that I find fault with the Authors of the Libel for concealing theirs Let such know that t is not because I am ashamed of it or of my worke but my reason is this I am an obscure and meane person and my name can no whit advance the credit of my labours but perhaps even debase it rather yea amongst too many of our owne side as they are accounted who having fleshed themselves with the monies of the King or the spoiles of his people can wallow in luxury while he is in misery and deride at meane persons for being affected for him Besides the subscribing my name in regard of my low condition is likely to be more vexatious to the great men whom I seeme to oppose then perhaps my Book it self may be for this by Gods grace may be conceived as it truly is but a defiance against their ungodly courses whereas that may be taken as a contemptuous affront against their very persons nor would I willingly increase sin or rage in any If any desire to know what I am let this satisfie I am one of those weak and despised things which God sometimes makes use of to confound the Mighty A Member I am and a Minister of the Ancient and true Church of England One that equally hates Idolatry and Superstition in Gods Worship and Service as I doe Indecency and Profanenesse I am one that can live under another Church-Government in a State where 't is established by the Supreame Magistrate with more quietnesse I believe then they can or will doe that fight for an alteration in this Kingdome although in my judgement I doe and shall prefer Episcopal Government above any other in the world as being in my conscience most Scripturall and Orthodoxall I am one that loves not to hear Calvin railed upon by them that never read him for I judge him to have been a great instrument of Gods glory though I think him not infallible I entitle not my self unto him nor to any man else I am a Christian and that 's my glory I have bid defiance by Gods grace to the worlds malice and to the Devils works and have manifested the same against one of them in this my Vindication which I here commend to the candid acceptance of all you my fellow-subjects of England Scotland and Ireland for whom I pray that you may be all such excepting in sins and miseries as my selfe am Phil'anax Philopatris May 30. 1646. In regno nati sumus Deo parêre libertas est The Protestation Ordered to be generally taken Die Merc. 5. Maii. 1641. I A. B. doe in the presence of Almighty God Promise Vow and Protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realme contrary to the same Doctrine and according to the duty of my Allegeance His Majesties Royall Person Honour and Estate As also the Power and Privileges of Parliament The lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject and every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall doe in the lawfull pursuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and meanes endeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as shall either by Force Practice Councels Plots Conspiracies or otherwise doe any thing to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained And further that I shall in all just and honourable wayes indeavour to preserve the Union and Peace between the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland And neither for hope feare nor other respect shall relinquish this Promise Vow and Protestation A VINDICATION OF KING CHARLES OR A Loyall Subjects duty c. SECT I. 1 Of the supposed Authors of the Libell 2. Of the Authorizers thereof and their speciall Order How fit the same should be recalled A president propounded to that purpose 3. A serious expostulation with them about the same and of their maintaining a base fellow to deride and scoffe at their Soveraigne in his affliction THe first thing observable in that disloyall pamphlet is the plurall manner
large thus That the King or rather he who was once in that office hath voluntarily and freely without being urged by any occasion in the world forsaken his place wherein he ought to have remained and which to His great content He might still have enjoyed had he so pleased being not only obliged thereunto by His Duty but also importuned by the most Humble supplications and prostrate intreaties of His Great Councel But He meerly out of his own ill disposition is departed thence and hath taken up not onely a standing but a Seat yea hath bound Himselfe by obligation entred into a covenant with Hell to sit to sit we say as the Psalmist speake for we would have all the Common people know that we have Scripture for what we say in the Seat of the Scornfull that is as our Prophets interpret to remain for ever in the Highest Throne and degree of wickednesse that man or Devill can reach unto whereby it appeares that Ahab-like he hath sold himselfe to work all evill even with greedinesse and is past all hope of recovery Moreover he hath intentionally and on set purpose been already the ruine almost of three whole Kingdomes and had been so altogether ere this had not His Great Councell a company of most Holy Chast Innocent Wise and infallible good men sitting now at Westminster in their great pitty and commiseration of spirit and out of their abounding piety and meere natural goodnesse interposed themselves whereby thanks only to them the three Kingdomes are yet kept in being which before they put to their helping hands were at the very brim of destruction And yet notwithstanding this wilful King hath left their most Sacred sweet and peaceable society out of a pure hatred to them and to their vâ—rtues and hath not onely stepped unawares but hath even eat and drunk with Publicans and Sinners yea and walked deliberately in the Councels of the wicked and ungodly Insomuch that it is to be thought the total ruine of the three Kingdomes will shortly be accomplished do what the Great Councel can to the contray unless some Noble Brutus some Valiant Cassius out of love to their Countries Liberty will take the paines to stab this Cesar some devout Raviliack in his zeal unto Religion wil do God the service or the kindnesse rather to free the world and Church of this destructive Tyrant for 't is better as Scripture saies that one man should die then that all the People perish then that three whole Kingdomes should be destroyed We refer the matter to their own Consciences whether this be not the true sense of their spirits and whether they would not have the people thus to understand their words against the King And to prevent scruples which may arise in the hearts of any about the Businesse which they would have done they adde to the former the words following saying And though in our Tenents we annex no infallibility to the seat of a King in Parliament as the Romanists do to the Papall Chaire since all men are subject to Errour yet we dare boldly say that no English King did ever from that place speak destruction to His people but safety and Honour nor any that abhorred that seat and Councell but did the contrary These words I say are added to their foregoing description of the King not only to further the Businesse aymed at but also in way of prevention for some might make a scruple of Conscience as David did to kill the King notwithstanding these suggestions because He is the Lords Anointed Wherefore these circumspect mâ—n being ad omnia parati do signifie further in these words that no man need be precise in that respect for say they in effect thus We in our Tenents which are all the truth and the very truth and the truth indeed and so to be apprehended by all men living doe make no more of a King then we do of another man the seat of a King in Parliament it self is no more then the seat of Cesar in the Senate-house it may as well be empty as not were there but no King at all for 't is not so much his Presence there which we desire and quarrell about as his Nullity that He might be no where we hold there is no more virtue in the Seat of a King in Parliament then in the seat of an ordinary Burgesle no nor half so much neither we neither do nor wil in our Tenents annex infallibility to the Kings Seat for should we make a Pope of the King No no He is but a man subject to Errours as others be and therefore liable to be punished for his faults as well as others specially since the Soveraignty is transmitted into the hands of the Parliament which was done as the Parliaments own self judgeth when the Bil of perpetuâ—ty was signed It is granted indeed before that time the Supream power was in Him and we were all his Subjects and then perhaps some might Scruple to out his throat for there were lawes then in force against Regicides but now since his Resignation for so in our Tenents we hold this Act to be there is no scruple to be made those lawes against King-killers are suspended and he is now become as Samson was without his strength even like another man any of the wel affected Philistines may fall upon him mock him kil him or use him as they please if their new Lords that is to say the worthy members of the Parliament do but give leave for he is now but their subject their slave they are able by the infallibility of their Votes to make him a malefactor and then to order him if they can catch him as such a one for infallibly we grant is an Attendant on the Supreame power we do not indeed annex it to the Kings seat because the supreame power is now removed from thence while this was in the King the Parliament it self as appeares in some of their Expresses did use to speak as the Law did modestly of the King and to say he could not erre but now the case is altered with him the Supreame power being transferred unto other persons infallibility stil attends the same and not the Kings person And hence it was that after the aforesaid Act there was a large Remonstrance made which the Authours of durst never make before whilst the power was in the Kings hand it may be called the Parliaments Act of Gratitude for the Kings Act fore-named in which they declare sufficiently their judgement to be that the King may now be imputed fallible and unfit to manage the Supreame power from thenceforth any longer And hence also it is that a new Oath of Allegeance and Obedience to the Parliament is tendred to the People of this Land which plainly shewes that the Supreame power is concluded to dwel in them and that the old Oath is quite void and out of date together with the King And for the Protestation
the true reason of his departure thence to be that he might not speake destruction to his people but safety and Honour still if possible that he might not imbrew his hands in the bloud of innocent and Loyall Subjects against Law and Conscience yea surely lest the rest of that guilt of bloud which he saw was likely to be spilt should be charged upon the Head of him and his posterity He withdrew himselfe from their society and did for the present even abhorre to be amongst them When God pleaseth we see he can make men speak truth whether they will or no. And truly let any man who hath Conscience judge in the matter whether the King did not do prudently and conscientiously in his forsaking them when he perceived their purpose and resolution was to have him sit there amongst them onely with a Reed or Pen in his Hand to signe and own as his Act and Deed whatever they alone should vouchsafe to do that so they might cast the blame and Odium of all their Injustice afterwards upon him which is most apparent they would have done if he had stayed for being by his departure frustrate of such their intentions they seem to cast it all upon the people by those words if no resistance be used Straffords President will cast Canterbury and Canterburies all the rest of the Conspiratours and so the people will make good their ancient freedome still As if the people of their own accords without being requested thereunto or sollicited by others for the upholding and making good some Ancient Priviledge which they formerly had enjoyed and now if the King were able to make resistance were in danger to be deprived of Had desired that those men Strafford and Canterbury should be put to death onely by their Votes and not by Law Indeed I read that in Heathen Rome the People had such a Custome to voice men to death and such men they should commonly be as had done the Common-wealth best service and from the Custome perhaps it was that Pilat a Romane Magistrate did permit the people of the Jewes against all Law and right to voice Christ to be crucified But I never heard that the people of England were wont to do so in any age till this new Arbritrary Government was set up And we beleeve it will be easier for these Libellers to make the people as the world now goes with many of them Pagans and Jewes in such desires then to prove that any such Custome did ever yet hitherto belong unto them nor will it availe much to the peoples comforts at the great day or to their own securities in the mean while if now they should purchase any such Priviledge But I leave the People to consider of this matter themselves and returne to these King-accusers who have themselves well answered their own accusation against their Soveraigne and declared the true Reason of his leaving his Seat at Westminster to which they might have added another viz. Gods calling him from thence both by his Word and Providence 1. By his Word which a King as well as another man is bound to observe and give heed unto My Sonne if sinners entice thee consent thou not if they say let us lay wait for bloud let us lurke privily for the innocent without cause c. My sonne walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foot from their path for their feet run to evill and make haste to shed bloud 2. By his Providence in his permitting the tumultuous people to rise against him and to force him from thence Consule providentiam Dei cum verbo Dei sayes one and when with the Word Providence concurs there is doubtless a speciall call from heaven But the King having these grounds of withdrawing himselfe some may wonder why in that former place they so heavily charge him to have walked to the ruine of his three Kingdomes by abhorring his Seat and Councell as if his leaving that were the sole cause of all our woe I answer in a word Their reason I conceive is because the King being of a soft and tender conscience is unwilling to beare the guilt therefore he shall whether he will or no if they can help him to it beare all the blame being unchargeable of reall evils he shall be burdened with imaginary the Devill and his Members desire no greater advantage against those they hate then to see them meekly scrupulous nor doe they please themselves better in any thing then in loading with slanders and tormenting the righteous when they see them to be in an afflicted condition Shimei cursed his Soveraigne and falsly called him A bloudy man and the destroyer of Sauls house because â—e saw him in a low condition So these men fancie they may say any evill against their King because he is in an afflicted condition they may speak to his farther griefe because he is already grieved But as David in that place sayes so say we It may be the Lord will look upon the affliction of his Anointed and will requite good the sooner to him even for these their accursed and false scandals of him And O our God our eyes are towards thee we will waite for thy salvation And thus I hope I have now made it apparent that there is as little of Verity as there is of Piety in that reproachfull Charge which these ill disposed Libellers these Martin Mar-kings have cast upon their Soveraigne now we shall observe how they proceed They address their speech to the Reader in generall whom they suppose to be either a Friend or an Enemy to their cause and say If thou art well affected to the Cause of Liberty and Religion which the two Parliaments of England and Scotland now maintain against a Combination of all the Papists in Europe almost especially the bloudy Tigres of Ireland and some of the Prelaticall Court Faction in England thou wilt be abundantly satisfied with these Letters here Printed and take notice how the Court hath been Cajold by the Papists and we the more beleeving Protestants by the Court SECT VII 1. What that Liberty is which the pretended Parliament doe maintaine 2. And what that Religion may be which they are about to set up Reasons to shew it may haply be the Popish or peradventure the Turkish 3. Six Arguments to prove it cannot be the Christian Protestant THe Reader may be well affected to that Reformed Religion which Gods holy and pure Word teacheth which the Church of England this fourscore yeares last past hath pulikly professed and to that Liberty which Christianity alloweth which the Subjects of this Land above any other in the World most happily have enjoyed under their Soveraigne Princes and which the Parliaments of this Kingdome before this have concurred in the establishing of and yet no way affected to that cause of Liberty and Religion which these men speake of Nay if the Reader may judge of Liberty and Religion by its
reason of the Abolition of Episcopacy that the Fathers of Gods Church might not have power to punish and suppress such kind of offenders 2. Because Episcopacy is the upholder of truth and order this is evident enough to be another reason themselves cannot deny that the same was first ordained established in the Church for a Remedy against Heresies Sects and Schismes which even in the Primitive times began to spring up among Christians the Smectymnists themselves confesse this and also for the maintaining of Order and Decency in Gods worship and service wherfore truth and order being the things which these men purpose to suppresse and destroy as appeares by that in-let which they have given to all false Doctrines and Teachers and by that confusion which they have set up in all places therefore a necessity lyes upon it Episcopacy must be Abolished as being a main obstruction to that their intendment or undertaking This is the second 3. Because Episcopacy is a great friend to Monarchy a maine supporter of it King James upon experience and observation was wont to say No Bishop no King which saying those that found most fault with it do now endeavour to make good unto the full for they intend the utter destruction of Monarchy in this Kingdome as will appeare by their words anon a form of Government indeed which their Faction have alway maligned and laboured to destroy King James in his Basilicon Doron pag. 4. which he made before he was King of England complaines of the men of this faction then in Scotland how they did use to calumniate him in their popular Sermons not sayes he for any evill or vice in me but because I am a King which they think the Highest evill and againe they informed saies he the people that Kings and Princes were naturall enemies to the Liberty of the Church and could never patiently beare the yoake of Christ which hath been the very Doctrine of these times Wherefore that wise King was most specially carefull all his dayes to countenance and establish Episcopacy in all His Kingdomes not onely as the main preserver of Religion but also as the speciall upholder of Monarchie and he layes it as a charge upon his Son to imitate him therein And indeed these innovators know full well that they cannot bring their designes to effect against Monarchy without the Abolition of Episcopacy for this keeps downe those unruly fiery spirits of the Ministry which are used as chief incendiaries in all State Combustions this restraines them from reproaching their betters and Speaking evill of Dignities this maintaines that Common form of Prayer in this Church established by the use whereof as by a daily Sermon of obedience peoples hearts are seasoned with Duty and Loyaltie in that they are taught continually to acknowledge God to be the onely Ruler of Princes and the Kings Heart to be in Gods Hand who alone must be sought unto to guide and dispose the same in that also we are all taught as we are subjects daily to consider that it is Gods Authority which the King hath and that we are faithfully to serve Honour and humbly obey Him in God and for God Viz. because God hath so commanded and because He is in Gods own stead by his appointment and ordination over the people And by many other such like Divine and Godly expressions people are taught in their use of that book to make profession of their Duty Loyaltie unto their Prince all which make directly against these men and their designes therefore Episcopacy the upholder of this book as the main impediment to their Project down the Common-prayer Book too without any reason at all alleadged on their parts that take upon them to be the Abolishers In a word Episcopacy with her Common-Prayer Book will not admit Treason to stand in the first rank of Christian vertues as these new-Reformers would have it nor be held the fairest and shortest way to Heaven Ergo She and that too must be both Abolished to make way for the downfall of Monarchy in this late most flourishing and happy Kingdom This is the third Reason The 4. is because the King at His Coronation did take a Solemne Oath to maintain Episcopacy it being the Government then established in the Church and the endeavours of these men are not only to destroy the Kings Honour by their Tongues and Pens His Body and Estate by their violence and oppression but also His Soul if they can possibly by forcing upon Him the guilt of perjury which if they could effect beside that unappeaseable grief which in so tender a Conscience as the Kings is they know they should create they would also purchase to themselves an Argument for confirmation of those their slanders already cast out against him to the same purpose viz. that he is regardlesse of keeping his Oath and Promise And besides too if they can make him their Instrument to ruine the Church of God which he loves so dearly and to destroy Monarchy and Kingly Government whereby himself and his posterity are supported if they can make him their Agent to ruine himself it will speake them admirable gifted and to have out-gone all the Machivillians that ever were before them most worthy therefore and fit to enjoy the Supremacy in the State and to be feared of all people And then further yet if they can get the King at their motion to Abolish Episcopacy they shall occasion him to break the Charge which his Father layed upon him to the contrary in his Basilicon Doron which he calls his Testament The Charge and Caveat there given is in these words Take heed my sonne of those Puritanâ— which aime â—t a parity who are the very pests in Church and Common-wealth whom no deserts can oblige no Oathes or promises binde they breathe nothing but Calumny and Sedition aspiring without measure railing without reason and making their own imaginations without warrant of the Word the square of their Conscience I protest before the Great God and since I am here as upon my Testament t is no place for me to lie in that you shall never finde with any Hye land or Border-theeves greater ingratitude more lies and viler perjuries then with these phanatick spirits And suffer not the Principals of them to brooke your Land if ye like to sit at rest except you would keep them for to trye your Patience as Socrates did an evill wife These were the words of the Kings Father wherefore should His Majesty let these men with his good will and approbation be principall in the Church and yeild for this purpose to their desires in abolishing Episcopacy God doubtless would be much offended with him for not minding the Commandement of his Father Yea and peradventure too these his tempters would goe neer afterward to suggest unto his Subjects for they have mouth and fore-head enough to do it that the King like his Predecessour Edward the
will the King appear so aboundantly culpable in this case as these men would have Him if these 3. following particulars be well considered upon 1. The lawfulnesse of using the ayde of Papists specially being His own Subjects in case of life and extremity of which I have spoaken somewhat before to which I referre the Reader All that the Enemy can object is the Kings Resolution to the contrary at the beginning of this Rebellion His words to this purpose they faile not to alleadge in the end of their observations Pag. 55. where also they tell us that the King made a strict Proclamation for the punishing those of that Religion that should presume to list themselves under Him and that a way by Oath was prescribed for discrimination of them and instructions granted to the Commissioners of Array in all places to dis-arme them All which doth but speak His Majesties full purpose of keeping his Resolution for the King doubtlesse did verily beleeve till experience taught the contrary that Protestant Religion had such a power in the hearts of those that pretended so much unto it that they would never suffer Him their Soveraigne and protectour to stand in need of the help of Papists to defend Him And these men in the same place confesse that at the battle of Edge-hill the Papists were taken into the Kings Army of meere necessity and they alleadge in scorne the excuse as they call it which the King gave for the same namely that by law they were prohibited Armes in time of peace and not in time of Warre which distinction say these bore date long after the Warre begun but that was want of invention only perhaps so for who could have beleeved that men of their pretendings should prove so highly vile and base as they have done in driving their King to such exigents or that the People of our Religion should prove so ingratefull as to leave their Soveraigne and protector so desolate as that contrary to His own Resolution He must be forced in defence of His life to use those of another Religion and be put to excuse Himself by that distinction This makes me remember that in Seneca when Hercules familie was abused Ingrata tellus nemo ad Herculeae Domus auxilia venit vidit hoc tantum nefas defensus Orbis 2. The time when this Letter unto the Queen was writ wherein this promise was made and the occasion moving thereunto The time His accusers confesse was March 5. 1644. immediately after the breaking up of the Treaty at Uxbridge when all hopes of peace by way of an accommodation were frustrate and dissolved when the Kings affaires were very low and the enemy high having newly taken the Town of Shrewsbury one of His Majesties best Garrisons And the particular moving him at that time to think of this meane of procuring assistance from his Subjects of that Religion was as appeares in the Letter His discovery that the English Rebels had so much as in them lay transmitted the command of Ireland from him to the Scots Which might easily perswade him that their purpose was to take that of England unto themselves and so his whole Authority in all his Dominions being totally rent from him and divided amongst them he was like to be but a Sans terrae or a Cipher signifying just nothing in his three Kingdomes which also spake plainly to his Conscience that it was nothing lesse then Reformation of Religion what ever was pretended that the Puritane Rebels aymed at upon which considerations he concluded with himselfe as the Letter infers That it would be no Piety at all but plain Presumption in him to neglect any lawfull meane for defence of himselfe and that authority which God had entrusted him withall or still to stand upon scruples which word the malitious Observatours Pag. 45. would have the people take speciall notice of and truly what is it but a Scruple a needlesse Scruple for any to question whether a Protestant Prince should use the helpe of Papists in case of necessity to defend himself in his naturall rights and Royalties it being not onely lawfull but according to his Office and duty to preserve his Crown and Dignity by the help of his Subjects of what Religion soever they being by the providence of God lotted under his Government as the proper meanes and Instruments for that very purpose Wherefore now at length though the King had not hitherto as himself saies though of this meane scil with intent to use it yet upon this occasion and consideration I give thee leave says he to promise in my name that I will take away c. 3. The thing promised which is the taking away the penall Statutes against the Papists provided that in this his necessity they afford him that powerfull assistance as shall inable him to do it And truely if extraordinary successe be such a full proof of a good cause as these Libellers would now have it and the King by the assistance of his Popish Subjects should obtaine the same against his Puritan Rebells then their cause and Religion must for another while be concluded the best and this Argument being fore-swallowed much wrong should they have in the worlds deeme if at least He whom they have enabled should not suffer them to enjoy the free use of it under his protection And besides if we do but consider the Carriages of the Rebells themselves what allowance they have given and what promises they have made to men of all Sects and Religions for to purchase their assistance in taking from the King his inheritance and Authority What advantages they have made of the Kings fore-mentioned purpose and promise not to use the ayd of Papists How they have sued for that assistance which he resolved against and have entertained many of that Religion into their Armies and what proffers they have made to those whom they could not prevaile with to help them only to sit still and not help him I say if we consider of these things this promise which the King made will not appeare so unreasonable to men of understanding as these would have it But they Accuse the King afterward for offering this to the Queen in behalf of the Papists without either her or their request It may be easily beleeved that they have sued for it heretofore Besides if it be but considered what the fashion of the world is now come to be since the Puritans pricked up their ears Namely to Capitulate and bargain with their King for what they shall have and what he will grant before any duty or service shall be afforded to him and then too if it be remembred what large and unreasonable demands the Kings worst deserving subjects do require at His hands onely for the purchase of life and peace to himselfe and his people No man will wonder if the King do think the Papists will look at least for Liberty of Conscience and Religion under him when by their
was Because I had preached the Truth which the Member said was not to be spoken at all times no not by those intrusted with it of God though also a Divine Truth and in danger to be lost What an high Dignitie also was this to me to be ranked thus among Christs Disciples and thought worthy to suffer as the Apostles did for the Truth of God The third was Because I was for the King And what are my sufferings for this Reason but a publick Proclamation in my behalf that I am a good Subject and one of those few among many that have obtained mercy of God to be faithfull The fourth was Because I would not preach to promote the warre Now what fuller manifestation could they make of my being Philopatris a lover of my Country and a true Minister of Christ the Prince of Peaee then by their taking from me what I had because I would not be tempted to doe a thing destructive to my Nation and mis-becoming the Gospel yea and more then this themselves of late have punished diverse persons for not being like me of such conditions And thus Christian Readers having seen the Reasons of my sufferings I beleeve you will judge as I do that I have no particular cause of hatred against these men who have been as I take it but Gods Instruments to give a good testimony of me unto the World wheresore I beseech you all mistake me not in your reading my Book fancy not that under a notion of bitternesse which may be called Gratitude rather my endeavours are to bring them back out of darknesse into Light from under the power of Satan unto God My expressions to this end perhaps sometimes are sharp and home But I have been a practitioner in the high Art of Soul-faving this twentie years and by Gods blessing have attained to so much skill therein that I know all sinners are not alike nor must be dealt with in the same way our Saviour spoke to the Scribes and Pharisees after another manner then he was wont to do to the Common people Some must by violence be plucked out of the fire Last of all I desire this of you that fear the Lord to afford me the Protection of your Prayers I might require you by the Protestation you have taken to maintain and defend me also other wayes as thereby you are bound in whatsoever I have here said or done it being onely in pursuance of the said Protestation which I have perfixt to the beginning of the Book that with the more case you may observe and compare mine aims and endeavours with the words and scope therein But indeed your supplications to God is that onely which I desire for next to faith in God I count the Prayers of the godly the best Militia under Heaven for protection and preservation and so the Lord of Life and Spirit rest upon you and dwell in you for ever October 25. 1647. Your Brother in Christ and Servant for his sake E. S. A Preface to the Readers specially to the Loyall Subjects of England Scotland and Ireland Christian Friends ABout July 1645. a certaine scandalous Pamphlet entituled The Kings Cabinet opened c. was published by certaine unnaturall Englishmen and dispersed through His Majesties Dominions of Great Britaine and Ireland on purpose to make Him distastfull to His owne people Yea many of the Copies were transmitted to forraigne parts to render Him a spectacle of offence to the whole world one of them some moneths after the divulging fortuned into my hands which when I had read and with amazement considered the reproachful style and mischievous scope of the Authors therein finding it every way in regard of the persons from and of whom it was more vile then Senacherib's Letter or Rabshekah's Tongue I thought it my duty first to spread it before the Lord and then before the world in opening the true nature of it which I have here done for these ends First to vindicate my Soveraigns Name and Honour to which as a Subject I am bound by common Allegeance Oath and Protestation 2. To warne you my fellow-Subjects of the snare laid to catch you for your subversion as well as the Kings defamation is aimed at and to this I am engaged as a Brother as a Christian. 3. To detect the virulent natures and cursed dispositions of wicked men which I am obliged to performe in respect of mine office and calling being one of those whom God hath honoured to be a Seer or Watchman in his Israel a Minister of his Church whose imployment is to lay open Satans devices to discover Wolves to uncase Hypocrites according to Christs owne example in the dayes of his flesh And to these I may adde a fourth viz. to justifie the Church of England and true Protestant Religion whereof I am a member and a Professor from all allowment and approbation of any such unreverend blasphemous and reproachfull language against Soveraine Majesty as that malicious Pamphlet is stuffed withall Peradventure this work hath been already done by others of like relation with my selfe who have both confuted the Libell and defended the King but their Piety is no discharge to my Duty I must therefore answer my part unto it I must also declare my opinion of it for indeed as Elihu in Job said I am full of matter and the spirit within me doth constraine me I took the Protestation as well as any to defend my Soveraignes Name and Honour yea and to oppose in my way all such as by any means should endeavour to darken and impeach the same And let not those persons who first authorized that Protestation and afterward this Libel fancie to themselves that all men will be induced by this to break that though too many are or that God will so far neglect his Anointed as not to stir up some though of the meanest quality who by laying their actions to the rule of Gods Word shall freely notwithstanding their stupendious greatnesse discover to the world the irregularity of their doings in their countenancing so vile a thing as this is against Him whom by all Lawes of God and man they are bound to reverence and defend whereas disdaine at least and vexation shall be increased in them as was in those Pharisees whom Hosanna to the Son of David was ecchoed from the mouthes of children nay as our Saviour upon that occasion said should such hold their peace the very stones would cry out in a case of this nature As no Decree to the contrary could make all men abstaine from confessing Christ so no threats or feares shall restraine all persons from adhering to their Soveraigne and standing up in his behalfe against Calumnie For a good man some will even dare to die sayes the Apostle and for a good King shall not some alwayes dare to speak 'T is true He is in a low condition at the present but must our Alleageance therefore be at so
Personall Estate to be disposed of as their own How they have executed all Regall Prerogatives How they call all those that do adhere to the King Rebells and Traitours and pursue them as such with fire and sword How they Hunt the King up and down the Kingdome as if he were become an out-law seeking to murder and destroy him How they now of late do all in the name of the Parliament Onely though at first til the people were fully seduced by them and ingaged with them they did use the Kings Name together with it doth not at all this speak plainly that they thirst to drink the Kings bloud and desire to have it shed or spilt 5. Consider how in their Notes in this their accursed Libel pag. 44. they tax the King as faulty for his Soliciting the King of Denmark and other Protestant Princes as they speak to assist for the supporting of Monarchy doth not this plainly infer that they have concluded against the Government here in England and so by Consequence against the Monarch himself Doth it not evidently declare that they account him King no longer and that all the Supremacy is now in themselves Which being supposed and withal that he according to their Votes seekes the ruine of his people whose safety above all things must be regarded It follows of necessity that they desire the Kings Destruction and would have it apprehended that they do but their duty to the Kingdome in desiring it 6. Consider how they do as in their Pamphlets and Sermons compare the King to Saul Ahab Nero and the like so in their malicious Notes upon his Letters here pag. 48. they compare him to Richard the third the most bloudy and unjust man that ever swayed the English Scepter which plainly speaks that they would have people take him to be such a one and to have no more true right to the Crown then that Richard had and that themselves would be as glad of his death as Hen. the 7. was of the death of that Tyrant If these particulars amongst many others that might be propounded be considered on I doubt not but all reasonable men wil yeeld that I have done the Authours of this Libell right in my interpretation of their intentions expressed in those their words against the King But that I might not leave the least scruple in the hearts of any wel-meaning people that yet remain drunk with a good opinion of their Honesties and do in Charity think it impossible that men pretending so fair and having so great a name in the world for Religion should be so Diabolical and have such Hellish designes I wil further yet indeavour their satisfaction for I doe publikely profess mine aymes are to do the work of Christ in laying open mens Hypocrisie that mine abused Country-men for whom Christ died might not longer be deceived which work by Gods grace I shal faithfully pursue though I meet in the end with Christs reward at their bloudy hands for my labour Wherefore I wil shew First that there is no impossibility at all in the matter notwithstanding their specious pretences which they make and then it wil further Evidence the verity of what I have said from their own Tenents My Argument for the first is this Whatever hath been already may possibly be again for sayes Solomon The thing which hath been is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done But such men there have been who had a name to be alive when they were dead in trespasses and sins who said they were Jewes called themselves Gods people and were so accounted by others when in very deed they were of the Synagogue of Satan therefore 't is not impossible but such men may be also in these dayes which are the last dayes and therefore the worst the very dregs of time For proof of the Assumption let us remember the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel they had as great a name in the world then as these persecutors of the King have now and were as wel thought on by the vulgar in whose opinions they were farre enough from those villanies which notwithstanding Christ did sufficiently discover to be in them Nay the people though themselves were imployed as under-instruments in the very business were so bewitched with a good conceit of their Pharisaical rulers whom they counted the Worthies of their Nation that they would not at first beleeve that they had any purpose to kill Christ for when he said why goe ye about to kill me the people replied Thou hast a Devill Who goeth about to kill thee they good folkes conceived that their Holy and wise Rulers did onely provide for the safety of Church and Common-wealth and endeavoured Christs Reformation whom they apprehended to be an irregular man one that would not submit His Judgement to the Great Councell at Jerusalem nor be ruled by their Votes and Orders Nay the very Pharisees themselves like these our men would not owne their own malice against Christ for when Pilate would have delivered him into their hands to have done with him as they pleased O no cry they 't is not lawfull for us to put any man to death they had rather some body else should doe it for them we are too holy to defile our selves with His bloud out of pure love to piety and to the peace of the Kingdome we have proceeded thus far against Him and have been at great Charges with the Souldiers to apprehend Him and though you can finde no fault in Him yet you may be sure on it if he had not been a Malefactor we would not have brought him before you No no if we could otherwise have reformed Him we would not have troubled your Lordship with Him But will you please to heare His Conditions Why He would be a King and Rule over us and if He be let alone He wil ruine the whole Kingdome and bring destruction upon the Temple too and to spoyl our Religion He bestowes strange Language and Titles upon us the Great Councell the Worthies of the Nation who are a company of Holy and unblameable men witnesse all the people He calls us Hypocrites Vipers and Painted Sepulchers and the like which we return not again but consider with sorrow that these expressions come from a Jew Seduced out of his proper spheare One that hath left the Society He ought to be withall and keeps Company onely with publicans and Sinners ungodly persons whose counsells he followes and hath set himself in the seat of the scornfull For we take all his Sermons against our Ordinances and doings to be but onely invectives and scornes against us whereby He exposeth us to be contemned of the people as if according to His saying we made the Law of God of none Effect by our Traditions When indeed none can be more zealous for it then we are and thus you see what a Person He is and what
there is any such Combination opposed by the two Parliaments of England and Scotland as these men mention is more perhaps then the Readers have heard of before or then they do yet beleeve upon the bare affirmation of these Relaters who are but men all men are Subject to Error Indeed we have heard of a most ungodly and unlawfull Association betwixt those whom they call the two Parliaments and certaine other people in England and Scotland The tenour of which is if I rightly apprehend never to lay downe Armes nor to admit of Peace till they have accomplished their owne ends upon the King and his Friends and satisfied their Lusts upon them And to defend and assist with their lives and fortunes all those whoever they be without exception that shall joyne with them against the King his Party So that be they Papists Turkes Jewes Heathens Atheists Arrians Irish Tigres Devills of Hell if they do but joyne with them against their King and those that Honour him as Gods Annointed for this very cause and reason they have bound themselves by Oath they have vowed and protested to defend and maintaine them with their lives and fortunes even till death and never to forsake them If there be a more generall illegall and irreligious Combination then that is which any others have entred into these relaters should have done well to have given the Reader a Copy of the same who otherwise must apprehend them in these their words to be only at their old vomit againe Because they cannot possibly devise more evill and mischiefe to Charge upon others then themselves do practice against others therefore they still impute unto others their own iniquities or else their guilty Consciences makes them fancy that they see their own pictures in other mens faces But we will not omit to observe the ingenuity of these men though it be but a little intimated in those their two words Almost and Some they do not say all the Papists in Europe absolutely all the prelaticall Court faction without any limitation have entred into this fancyed Combination But all the Papists in Europe almost and some of the Prelaticall and Court faction the word almost doth exclude all the Papists that either are or may be under the Parliament Pay and Service and the word Some may excuse those of the Prelaticall or Court Faction that hold intelligence with those at Westminster and are men of like complexion with them dissemblers disobedient unthankfull treacherous heady and high-minded however they carry themselves to outward appearance And truly we beleeve that if these tale-tellers would but speak out when the fit of ingenuity is upon them they would confesse and acknowledge that if any Papists in the world any of the Bloudy Tigers of Ireland will but joyne with those whom they call the two Parliaments against the King and that little flock which for Conscience sake remain Loyall to him they shall be accepted and absolved presently from what is past they shall be reckoned Papists no more Bloudy Tigers of Ireland no more but all good men and true in a moment and have free leave yea and money too to act over againe their bloudy Tragedies here in England Or if any of the Court Faction of what Religion or conversation soever will but vouchsafe to be more vile and wicked then ever they have been and be hired as Judas was to betray their Master or to render up to his Enemies those places of Defence committed to their Trust and so come off from the King to their Parliament side they shall be welcome and Voted good all upon the suddaine Truly we never heard of any yet that had the Conscience to act the part of a Traitour or of a villaine against God his Prince and Country but hath been accepted by them and as was said we beleeve if our subtile and suspected Brethren would but speake out when the moode of ingenuity is upon them they would confesse as much But the Reason as we conceive why they yoke Papists Irish Tigers and the Court Faction thus together and affirme them to be entred into a Combination is this Because they would that the common people should have an equall odious esteem of each of these three sorts whom they would also should be apprehended to be the onely persons that maintaine and uphold the King and whom the King doth only respect and adhere unto therefore they would that we unto whom they direct their speech should decline him and his Cause and joyne with themselves and their faction against Him that and them In Answer to which I shall only declare in a word what our judgements and opinions are of each of these three sorts of people 1. Concerning Papists we the Persecuted and Loyall Protestants of this Kingdome doe more abjure their Religion then these men do that speak so bitterly against them though we do not think it lawfull to enter into a Combination to root them out of the Earth by shedding of their Bloud no though they should enter into such a one to destroy us for we have no warrant in the Gospell so to doe T is the Word of God that is ordained to suppresse false Religions and not the Sword of Man Fire Sword and Pistolls are the Weapons of Antichrist and not of Christ. And because of their Religion we are heartily sorry that there are any Papists in the Kings Armies for that scandall which ignorant people take by them through the perverse suggestions of the crafty Adversary who from hence take occasion to keep their affections enstranged from their Soveraigne Not that hereby any scandall is justly given by His Majesty for we hold it not only Lawful for him to make use of those of that Religion but also necessary yea it would be a sinne against God if being assaulted by Theeves and Rebells he should not use the meanes for his own Preservation and imploy for his own defence all those whom God hath submitted under his Government for that purpose there is no man if he should be assaulted by Robbers and Murderers but would make use of the aide of a Turke to save his life Yea these very men themselves we see can hire Papists from other Countryes to help them to destroy their Soveraigne and is it not meet and reasonable that the King should permit Papists his owne Subjects to help to preserve him from such their violence Indeed we are ashamed and blush that Papists should out-goe any that beare the name of Protestants in duty and obedience to their King that any whom this Church hath bred should so desert their Soveraign in his danger who hath protected them in theirs as that he should need the help of Papists Sorry we are at the heart that this occasion is given to have any of another Religion to defend the Defender of our Faith against the basenesse and violence of those persons whom he hath defended in the profession
thought to be done out of zeal against sin and out of pure love to our Countrey we shall be looked upon as impartiall men that will wink at sin in no man no not in the King himself we will persecute and destroy him though he be our Common Parent rather then suffer sin to abide and domineere in him yea we shall be apprehended by the vulgar to be Gods speciall favourites elected and appointed by him on purpose to punish the King and to pull him from his Throne that so Christ in us the Saiuts may be set up and rule in his stead And what ever the King suffers at our hands shall be interpreted by the helpe of our Preachers men fitted for our turns to be Gods just judgement upon him for those very crimes which we lay to his Charge as Perfidiousnesse and Breach of speciall Vowes made to us his Protestant Subjects of England and Scotland for so we call our selves and under that guize we goe covered No doubt I say but the Consciences of those I mentioned have spoken to this purpose within themselves or else they would confess together with us that there is nothing in those Annotations upon the Kings Letters but what is most uncomly and misbeseeming Christian subjects And truly it is no difficult matter for men resolved and ingaged by all they care for bodily safety and worldly reputation to deprave the most innocent writing and to pick out matter thence to defame the Author Julian the Apostate these mens elder Brother having a deep hatred against Christ did imploy his maliciously-fine braine against the Sacred Bible and took great paines to cull out thence all shews of errour or places seemingly contrary to each other which he would formalize to his own purpose all ambiguous expressions which he would wrest and pervert to the most sinister construction and all obscure places which by a further entangling he would make more dark and cloudy and thus for a season with some men he disgraced Christ and his Holy Religion Now hence we gather that if one man alone was able by the helpe of Satan to do thus against the Sacred writings of God himselfe It is no marvail if many of the same rank and spirit laying their heads together shall with the like assistance doe thus against the writings of the King who is but a man for as we doe not make our King infallible like as they do the Parliament so we will not put His writings into the same skale of perfection wherein they weigh their Votes But this we will say and from their Malice against him do firmly beleeve that he is a lesser sinner then other men are for the more like in degree their spightfulness against him is to that of the Pharisees against Christ the more like unto Christ in innocency and Holiness is our Soveraigne the object of it That Hatred which is most deep and deadly in such men as these are is alwayes the most unjust And further too this we affirm concerning our Soveraigne that of all the Kings His Predecessours that swayed the English Scepter as he hath done we beleeve him to be the least sinfull and we may conclude it from the pride and fatnesse of these his people who Jessurun-like have kicked up their Heeles against him had he not been so good so milde so gentle towards them they had not been so malipert so proud so injurious towards him had he been a wanton Edward the fourth and borrowed a pace the rich Citizens monies and repayed them againe by lying with their wives or had he been a boysterous Henry the eighth and chopt off his Subjects heads in lust and anger doubtless he had found much better respect and fairness both of Carriage and Language from the men and women of this Nation London had not shut up their Gates thus long against him had he deserved less love they would have shewn more feare and Reverence to him No man was ever so perfect Christ alone excepted but at some times have been guilty of some obliquities which should they all that were committed through his whole life be mustered up and presented in one view and continuation together would make him appeare most strangely sinful whereas if his life were displayed in that tenour onely as led he would haply be an object of admiration for â—anctity and perfection These men and their faction have set nothing of the King to the worlds view since their unhappy meeting but his oversights and blemishes which they have narrowly searched for throughout his whole life and reigne nay they have made use of the â—ins and corruptions of those Monopolizing Lords and Gentlemen who are now right deare unto themselves and sit amongst them to make the King distastful to his people they have bedawbed him with others crimes for want of somewhat more proper and what have they to their utmost done thereby but purposed for an object of scorn and abhorring Him whom God by endowment with Principall and choise graces hath marked out for a ' Pattern of Honour and imitation to all Princes and men We dare challenge malice her selfe to open her mouth so wide as she can and for her better Advantage let her borrow the tongues and pens of these men to vent her worst of all and then let her speak out and tell the world what personall Crimes she can Charge the King withall Nay must she not needs confess if she say any thing that He hath been an example of meekness Temperance Charity Patience Mercy and Justice to all his Nobles and to all his people Had some of these great ones now with them been in these Vertues conformable unto him they had not haply been in that high esteem wherein they are at this present amongst them Nay because the Libellers in their height of impudency doe speake of the King as if he were not according to his profession a defender of the true Faith a tender Father of his Country and sincerely affected to the good of his Protestant Subjects in England and Scotland we doe appeale to all the world to Name an Age since England was a Nation wherein the Church and Faith of Christ flourished in such high lustre and glory wherein the Subjects of this Kingdome of all ranks and degrees did more abound in wealth and riches and wherein those of the true Protestant Religion which is the Religion of truth and peace of Humility and obedience were more countenanced and favoured then they have been in his dayes was there ever so much Splendour Bravery and Abundance in the City So much Plate and Money in the Country so many Pleasant Houses and Stately Buildings in all places throughout the Land Was there ever so much Feasting and plenty of food among all sorts of people so many good Garments and cloathes worne by men and women of all degrees so large Portions and dowryes given with Children in marriage were ever the Protestant Subjects
purpose do stil detain it from him Our observation of them hath been this They wanting matter to make their King odious to the world as they desire he should be did labour all they could to disable him from doing as he had said and purposed that so they might upon his failing have some pretence to tel the people he was perfidious and a Promise-breaker 2. Whether the Kings promises when first made were not intended performable only upon the Condition of their Faith and Obedience who now tax him and whether they have performed their duties in those particulars we conceive that as Gods promises so the Kings are made upon such supposals If ye be willing and obedient saies God ye shal eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebel ye shal be devoured by the sword and again The Lord wil be with you while you be with him but if ye forsake him and walk contrary unto him He wil forsake you and walk contrary unto you If the Kings promises should be more absolute then Gods they might be sinful and so a sin to keep them though he had power beside faith and obedience doth not only make people capable of the thing promised but doth also inable the party promising to make his intended goodness manifest It is said that Christ could do no mighty works in a certain place because of the peoples unbelief Did mens unbelief weaken Christs hands and can it strengthen those of the King I conceive no man can justly tax the King of any breaches in this kind unless they can shew that his promises were absolute and notwithstanding their continuation in Rebellion and opposition against him or at least can name some one particular of them for which they took his word and waited on him in the way of obedience which he did not perform to the uttermost of his power 3. Whether those men who take such pains to have the King accounted it in the world a Promise-breaker be themselves free from the same crime whether they have been precise and punctual in keeping all their Oaths Promises and Protestations made unto the King If not it may be suspected that their Policy is greater then their Honesty and that they hope to cloud their own fault by means of this dust which they raise against the King as conceiving that men wil not be so uncivil as to think them guilty of that which with so much mouth and fieriness of Spirit they censure in the King And yet verily many are of opinion that it cannot be shewn from any story that there was ever a like pack of perfidious wretches under the cope of Heaven professing the Christian Protestant Religion that have broken more Oaths of Allegeance Bonds of obedience and Protestations of Loyalty then these have done Again I do further advise the Readers that if from any passages in these Letters they shal conceive they see in the King some failing concerning his trust and dependance on God that he doth not so totally cast himself upon his strength and providence as in their thoughts it be seemeth the Anointed of the Lord and as at the beginning of his troubles he resolved to do but seems to look out for other helps as of Forreiners and people of another Religion which in their apprehensions is not so proper for him a Protestant Prince to make use of Yet before they passe a rigorous censure against him after the manner of these men Let them also consider of these three particulars 1. That the King is in the state of Mortality and so hath frailties in him as wel as others Nor was it ever known that Faith was at all times alike strong and lively in the best believers somtime they have relied wholy upon God but somtimes again they have been ful of doubtings specially when afflictions have bin hard upon them and God seemed to stand afar off David at some time thought that God had quite cast him off and forgotten him though somtime again he could say that God was his salvation and when Peter that great Apostle felt himself sinking his Faith failed him Now considering how tedious bitter and heavy the Kings afflictions have bin we who are more frail should rather magnifie and admire the strength of Gods grace in him that hath supported him so far and so long then condemn him for his weakness the best of us perhaps had despaired and bin distracted or dead long ere this under the like continuance of a far lesse burden 2. That necessity is a Tyrant and forceth men beyond their wils and purposed inclinations and therfore Seneca wel Magnum imbecillitatis nostrae patrocinium necessitas quae omnem legem frangit it breaks all laws and resolutions and thrusts a man with a kind of Authority into by-paths it did David when notwithstanding Gods particular promise to settle him in the Throne of the Kingdom and after a large and frequent experience of Gods delivering him from Sauls rage he said I shal one day perish by the hand of Saul and thereupon used that which is now counted an indirect mean for his preservation the help of Forreiners and men of another Religion He sought protection from Achish king of Gath and indeed behaved himself in his court being there also put to his shifts somwhat unseemly And so Abraham notwithstanding God had promised him his special guard wherupon he had the more reason to be confident and to depend upon him yet being in a strait to save his life used an undirect mean two several times and hazarded the loss of his Wives Honour Our King hath had no such personal and special promises of Gods preservation as those holy men had therfore if he had bin so weak in faith as some wil happily apprehend him yet had he shewn himself therein but the son of David the son of Abraham It would doubtless better become the best of us to pray with the Psalmist Let not the rod of the wicked lie alway upon the back of the Righteous lest the righteous put forth his hand unto wickedness then to condemn or censure a righteous Prince for his putting forth his hand for forrein help in a cause of this nature when he is in danger to be deprived both of life and Kingdom but more of this hereafter 3. Let it be remembred how highly guilty of hiring and impolying forrein aid these his Accusers with their faction are who oppose his Majesty notwithstanding that great strength of ships arms wealth and men which are at home under their Command they have the aid of all men whomsoever they can get or hire to help them in spoyling the King they called in the Scottish Nation to this purpose and it is wel known by divers where neer thirty of their men being at once taken together Prisoners were found upon examination to be of six several Nations and all Papists wherfore then may
all power and authority and what ever else is good upon the earth of right belonging unto them as their proper inheritance though hitherto it hath bin kept from them by usurpers such as Kings and Princes are and all others that be not of their Faction therfore if now by any means they can but be stated in their own rights it is very probable that they wil see the whole Kingdom destroyed rather then part with the same again for the Israelites did never deliver back the Aegyptian Jewels after they had once borrowed them nor did they ever resigne to Og the King of Basan his Kingdom any more when once they had gotten possession of it Ergo because these good hands are such sure hands such hold-fasting hands they would have the Militia setled in them Indeed we do remember that for the space of two seven years before this unhappy Parliament did begin vulgar hearts were seasoned with this Doctrine that Gods people only have a right to the things of this life and all others Kings and all are but usurpers of what they do enjoy and therfore may justly be dispossessed of the same by them who call themselves the people of the Lord. But we do not believe this to be a true Doctrine because Christ hath said His Kingdom or that which properly belongs to his people is not of this world Therfore we conceive the Argument and reason built upon the same to be neither substantial nor sufficient but only a bare pretence to gul the ignorant and to seduce the simple 2. They desire as they say to have the disposal of the Militia that so they may go through-stitch with their Reformation as they call it For say they it is an hard task we have undertaken and like to he long in doing for we shal meet with many rubs and therfore have need of Power to remove obstructions Indeed we grant that Rome was not built-in one day it was many years before she had gained her present height of wickedness and before â—he could reach the same she did wrest the Militia out of the Emperours hands wherby she was able to bring her Soveraigns neck under her Popes feet by making him glad to hold the stirrup And now a like design being here on foot it must be pursued in a like method the Militia must first be seised upon beside the doctrine of Christian obedience hath bin so long rivetted into peoples hearts that though it be shrewdly shaken already by these Militia-men yet it is likely to settle and appear again unless they have the strength continued in their violent hands to suppress and keep under the growth therof And then further too that Publick form and manner of worshipping God wherin people have bin bred and nourished in the Church hath bin so decent and Reverend that this beastly and slovenly way which these New Reformers as they call themselves would introduce in the room therof is never like to be wel digested and therfore as the Papists on the one side have need of a bloudy Inquisition to uphold their ridiculous fopperies and superstitious vanities in their worship of God so these on the other side have as much need of the Militia to maintain and force their unhandsome carriages and proud undecencies in their serving of him But these men pretending to reform a Christian Church do they not make use of a wrong instrument Was the Militia of kingdoms ever appointed of God to such an end We have always believed that the Word was the ordained mean for such a purpose the Sword of Christs mouth and not of mens hands must both cut sin from Christs members and subdue his enemies Had these men set up a faithful teaching Ministry in all parts of the Kingdom we might have hoped for some good by them but as that Pope who cast away his Keys and betook himself to his Sword so do they betake them to their iron and steel they desire the Militia of the Kingdom with which they persecâ—te and destroy the faithful Preachers and this they call Reformation Indeed Antichrist and Mahomet went this way to work for the erection of their Religions and our men coveting and exercising a like power to a like end may be truly called their Disciples whom they imitate we would fain have them declare unto us how this course which they take and which it seems by this their desire they are resolved to proceed in can possibly consist with that Religion whose root is truth whose branches are charity and whose fruit is good deeds both towards friends and enemies we find in Micah the Lord complaining of some wicked Heads of the people and false Prophet who jugling together did endevour to build up Sion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity and had got the Power and Militia into their hands to that purpose and that the silly people might think that God was wel pleased with that their way they would saies the Text lean upon the Lord and were so impudent as to say the Lord is among us or on our side But how did the Lord take this at their hands It follows in the next Verse For your very sakes saies God to them Sion shal be plowed like a field and Jerusalem shal become heaps and by those unfit means wherwith they pretended to build up the same was brought to pass its destruction Wherfore doubtless this second Reason which is alleaged to get the Militia setled in their Hands is not only weak but extreamly wicked and tendeth not to Reformation but to the destruction and ruine of Christian Religion and of the Nation Thirdly They pretend it would be for the Peoples greater preservation to have the Militia of the Kingdome setled in their own good Hands for say they we stand for the People we are the men whom the People have chosen and therfore it is most likely that we shal imploy the strength of the Kingdom best to the Peoples safety which above all things is to be looked unto Thus they speak and wel have they evidenced their pretended care for us the People since they got the sword into their hands for therwith the first thing they did for our preservation was Mustapha or Mahomet or Amurath-like to cut off fair Irenes head with whom indeed the whole Nation had formerly too much wantonized and what have they done beside but often strewed our fields and high-ways with heaps of mangled carkasses and filled our Channels with the spilt-out bloud of our murdred Country-men O wo wo and alas they have done that quod nulla posteritas probet quod nulla taceat what true English heart without most bitter Lamentation can think or speak of their doings What persecution What banishment What confiscation of goods What corporal bondage Yea What cruel tortures What merciless burnings What secret murders What publick massacres have they committed upon the people of this Nation only because they refused to renounce
of all those Sects and Heresies to the destruction of Christian Protestation Religion which by their crafty and violent seizing upon the Militia were but only let in to the Church May it please His Sacred Majesty and all His Loyall Subjects to remember when the Pope of Rome these mens Grandsire for however in words they disclaime kindred with Him yet are they wholly like Him in Conditions they tread in His steps observe His method end in all their undertakings when He I say after the fashion of these His Nephews had fraudulently forceably seized upon the Militia of His Soveraign the Emperour then did all Corruption and false Doctrine make entrance into that Church the light grew dim And when the Emperour afterward gave his Consent that the said Pope and his conclave formerly His Subjects should have that His power and Authority which at first indeed he laboured to recover againe unto himselfe settled in their hands then was all that wickednesse formerly but admitted confirmed and established and the faithfull Church became from thenceforth a very Harlot Let Story be observed and it will be found that the fall of the Empire the rise of the Pope-dome above it and the spring of Mahumatisme happened all about one time and the two last might be permitted of God for a punishment of the first For it is no small sinne for the Supream Magistrate to part with that depositum out of his hands which the Almighty hath intrusted solely with him Histories doe sufficiently testifie what extreame molestations the Emperour hath been put unto and what base affronts have been put upon him by his proud Subjects of Rome Since he gave his consent that the Militia of that City and Country should be settled in their Hands Himselfe is there now but vox non significativa He hath the Title of Roman Emperour and no more And such must be the condition of our King if he be not warned by the Emperours example He must be content to be only an unsignificant voice too in his own Kingdom yea and to be regulated in his expences if he have leave to live yet he shall be so ordered that he doe not live profusely or have wherewithall to dare to practice ought to their prejudice Yea and he must learne to hold the Stirrup too to kisse the Toe to bow the Knee to the Supremacy or Popes of the Lower House if they shall at any time please to frown upon him or to Vote him a Delinquent Well let but these things be seriously and with judgement thought upon by moderate men and then let reason speak whether it be fit that the King should yeild to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they would have him whether it be meet he should suffer the Sword to be carryed before the Gran Concilii rather then still before himselfe and should settle the Militia of the three Kingdomes in their hands which are good onely by their own Testimony But I have been perhaps too tedious in scanning the Reasons of this their second demand we come therefore to advise a little upon the third Proposition which say they concernes the Vindication of the Irish Rebells SECT XV. 1. Of their Vindicating the Irish Rebells How fully they have done it in one sense 2. And how glad should we be if themselves would go and do it in the other Their true intention in that demand opened TO Vindicate in the most vulgar acception is to Justifie and acquit from blame and if they take the word in that sense they have Vindicated them too sufficienly already and much more then hath become men of their Profession For as God by his Prophets tells Jerusalem that she had multiplyed her abominations more then her sisters Sodome and Samaria she had justified them in all which they had done in her going beyond them in wickednesse and that she was a Comfort to them so may it be said of these men they have multiplyed their transgressions more then their Brethren the Rebells of Ireland they have Justified them in what ere they have done they have been a Comfort to them Surely the Irish doings shall not be remembred in the day that the impieties of those of this Nation are reckoned up Did the Irishâ—ob â—ob kill and roste Christians So have these done did they burn Houses strip Men and Women naked scourge them and expose them to the wide world These have not been behinde in such doings did the Irish Rebell against their Soveraigne These have both overtaken and also gone beyond them in this sin for though nothing should cause men to Rebell yet to say the truth the Irish lived formerly under a more hard bondage which might provoke their corruptions whereas these Jesurun-like rebelled out of meere wantonnesse Nor did those Irish execute their savage Cruelty as was noted before on those of their own nation and Religion as these English have done they did not defile their own Churches nor kill and abuse their own Priests but these have delighted to prophane and destroy those places where themselves had formerly met to worship God and have offered most speciall despight to the Ministers of their own Religion who baptized them and preached Gods truth unto them Besides the Religion which the Irish Rebells professe is not so directly opposite to such barbarous Cruelties which they have committed as is that which these of England pretend unto nor have they been so bold as those to entitle God unto all their outrages they think they need a pardon both from God and the King for their inhumanityes and Rebellions whereas these stand upon their Justification and have often despised the Kings mercy when tendered to them nor have they in Ireland persecuted and pursued the Kings Sacred person they have not reviled nor railed upon him as these have done Never any such reproachfull Libell as this which we oppose doe we read was sent abroad by the Rebells of Ireland against their Soveraign nor yet did we hear that ever those Irish took so solemn a Protestation at the beginning of their Parliament as these English did to maintain the Kings person Honour and Estate In a word Those Irish are not so impudent as these hard-fore-headed English are as to call them Rebells and Traitours who according to their Oath of Allegeance and Protestation do labour to maintain the Kings life and right against them but they yeeld themselves to be or to have been in a Rebellion Wherefore who will not say that the English Rebells have out gone the Irish and by committing evils in a more abominable way have even Justified those their Brethren as Jerusalem did her sisters Sodome and Samaria And yet as if all this were nothing these good men desire to be still Vindicating the Irish Rebells and would have the Militia of the three Kingdomes settled in their own good hands to the same purpose But perhaps by Vindication these mean punishment and revenge
ill spoken of the same reason may be given for the enemies prevailing of late against the Kings men Though I doe not say that all on the Enemies side are free from this hellish sinne or so respectfull of Christ and God as the Turkes are in this particular for there are with them even with them also most horrid swearers and most execrable blasphemers but their evills hurt not us as our owne doe nor are so mis-becoming their Cause as ours are to that which we maintaine And indeed never any good undertaking had so many unworthy attendants such horrid blasphemers and wicked wretches as ours hath had I quake to think much more to speak what mine eares have heard from some of their lips but to discover them is not my present business a day may come when the world may see that we who adhere to the King for Conscience sake what ever is said of us to the contrary have as truly hated the prophanesse and vilenesse of our own men as we have done the disloyalty and Rebellion of the Enemy For indeed the truth is betwixt them both as betwixt two mil-stones the King his Cause and our selves too are ground in pieces and were the matter well opened it would appear that both those and these have had but one and the same end even to satisfie their owne lusts and enrich themselves with the ruines of their King and Country But without all question neglect of Religion and want of Discipline hath weakned and undone the Kings Armies O had His Sacred Majesties Commands and Orders for the exercise of both been put in Execution the Enemy had never been able to have stood before us 3. Popular Fury which is like the rushing of mighty waters comes also in to the making up of this Land-floud which gives the Adversary such occasion of glorying the Addition of the many though it can adde no true credit to their Cause yet it makes the successe appear extraordinary The People sayes Jeremy are foolish and know not Gods way and our Saviour sayes the Multitude walke in the broad way they are led much by mouth and noise and incline alwayes to the strongest their delights are to lift up those that are already up and to throw downe lower the already downe with them the winner hath alwayes praise let a man get power or prosperity how he can he shall not want vertue in their opinions A notable Testimony of this we have in that propheticall vision Rev. 13. wherein is foreshewn what shall fall out in these latter times we are there told of a certain Beast with many Heads whom all the world wonder after in regard of his Power and Authority which notwithstanding was not lawfull or rightly come by as the Text infers For the Dragon or Devill did give it to him and not God yet such was the blindness and fury of the People that they did worship and adore him for it And by the way let us here note that Satan is sometime said to give power by Gods permission as well as God and as that power which is gotten by honest and lawfull meanes is Gods gift of which kinde was that of Pilat though abused by him it was conferred upon him by the voluntary designement of Caesar the Supream Magistrate and therefore our Saviour saies it was of God or from above So that strength and Authority on the other side which is obtained by unlawfull courses is the gift of Satan and such was that of the many-headed Monster forementioned He is said to have received power from the Dragon because by fraud violence and unjust wayes he had gryped a great strength of the Militia into his hands whereby for a season he was succesefull in many designes Yea sayes the spirit vers 7. He made Warre with the Saints and overcame them He prevailed over men of all sorts small and great rich and poore free and bond and compelled them to receive a Marke or to take a Covenant and no man might live and trade buy or sell in all his Quarters that scrupled at it And in regard of this his great Power and success together all that dwelt upon the earth or in the Countries where he had to doe those onely excepted sayes the Text whose names were written in the booke of Life did worship the Beast wondered after him and admired him saying who is like unto the Beast who is able to make Warre with him And no doubt but the Beast did admire himselfe too for such his greatness and success among the People whose foolish and froward access indeed did make the same so extraordinary These I conceive are the chief causes of that prosperity which the enemy so much glories in what invisible reasons there be in Gods secret Councell for his permitting this I cannot tell but sure I am though the Adversaries may have received their power as that beast did to doe as they have done yet Gods Hand it selfe is in the Judgement as 't is a punishment And indeed we have sinned one with another and therefore are justly punished one by another we had made this happy and rich Kingdom the stage of our wickedness and therefore it is become unto us an Acheldama or field of blood and should God make it an Hell also for ever to torment us in it would be but our due merit and his true Justice Let us give God his due glory He is righteous in all his doings The Judgement indeed hath falne hitherto most heavy upon the Kings Family and Party and this I beleeve is of Gods speciall permission too but whether because Judgement doth usually begin at Gods own house or because we on that side are in the generall so sinfull and the best of us so little affected with these nationall miseries and so little humbled under our own I cannot tell Gods Councells are a great deep But let this be confessed to our shame of which I wish we could take more unto our selves for this is a time and season to do it in I thinke since the world began there was never so great a Judgement lesse laid to heart wherein so many are concerned then this is by us Alas Alas Who amongst us yet speaketh aright Who repenteth him of his wickedness Who lamenteth for his sin Who smites himselfe and sayes What have I done Every one in a manner still goes on â—in his old course and runs desperately upon his owne ruine even as the Horse that wanteth understanding rusheth into the battle We have those that seeme to hate Religion as much as the Rebells doe Loyalty yea that make Religion a mark of Rebellion even as they on the other side do make Rebellion a mark of Religion Nay I would they did not hate both Loyalty and Religion too sure they use those worst that are to both these best affected we must needs think that God hath an high indignation against such persons and disdaines sure
intelligence with the Cardinall Mazarine Though I will not swear saies he that Lenthall says true yet I am sure 't is fit for thee to know Pap. 1. Here was another Clandestine businesse And further he doth consult with her about supplies of Men Monies and Powder for defence of his life against them of Westminster Pap. 3. and gives her direction for the conveyance of it in some other Papers a businesse Clandestine and shrewd too And in Paper 6. he assures her in private that Hertogen the Irish Agent was an arrant Knave a particular which might concerne the men of Westminster and touch them more close then perhaps every body will yet beleeve Besides in most of these Letters we shall finde the King and his Queen comforting and supporting each other under their heavy burdens with mutuall intimation of perfect love and patheticall expressions of conjugall affection All which are notable proceedings indeed against them at Westminster and great obstructions to their endevours which are to breake the Hearts of both and sinke them to their graves presently And thus we see the nature and danger of the first particular in the Charge concerning Clandestine proceedings which are so evident that we can say nothing against it The 2. followes the proof whereof is more and obscure and that is condemning all that are in any degree Protestants in Oxford by which they would have it beleeved that the King is so great an Enemy to Protestant Religion that his very friends at Oxford who have forsaken all they had for his sake are hated by him for their Religion sake so many of them as are Protestants in any degree But how this is manifest in these his Papers we are to seek for though these men have forehead enough to affirme it yet their fortune is not good enough to prove it Indeed we find the King in his Letters to Ormond Paper 16. and in his Directions to his Commissioners at Uxbridge taking great care and giving strict Charge for the preservation of his Protestant Subjects in Ireland but in no place can we see so much as a sillable tending to the condemnation of Protestant Religion But these men cannot leave their old trade of Taxing the King with their own Conditions Heaven and Earth can witnesse that never was there in England greater enemies to Protestant Religion then themselves have been never was there so much Protestant Bloud spilt in this Nation since the beginning of the world as hath been by their meanes within these foure years Never was London so full of Prisons never the Prisons so full of Protestant Divines Protestant Nobles Gentry and Christians of all sorts as they have been since these good men kept Court at Westminster Besides how they have Countenanced and brought into the Church all kinde of Sects and Heresies to the ruine of Protestantisme which the King for the Honour and Health thereof was alwayes carefull to suppresse and keep out How have they maintained and preached Doctrines of Devills scil of strife murder of Brethren Rebellion against Princes oppression of neighbours and practised the same which are all directly opposite to the Religion of the Protestants How have they abolished the Book of Common-Prayer established by Parliament to be the Protestants publick forme of Worshiping and serving God in this Kingdome Had the King done but any one of these things or were he not himselfe a most constant and zealous Professour of Protestant Religion in his daily practice these men might happily have had some Colour for this their confident Charge against him and so to have created suspitions of him But seeing all things are so cleare contrary we learne onely thus much from this particular on their charge that they are men whose hearts are not overspiced with honesty They passe not what they say nor with what face so they say no truth The third particular which they load their King withall is Tolleration of Idolatry to Papists which they speak as if Idolatry sub eo nomine were already allowed and set up by the Kings Authority in contempt of God and true Religion and so doubtlesse they would have it apprehended Reasonable men will yeild that there is a difference betwixt Idolatry and the Penalty thereof the penalty may be suspended altered or taken away for the time and yet the sinne it selfe not tollerated or allowed These doubty Champions will not yeild that their Parlia have granted a tolleration to Adultery though they have abrogated the penal Lawes against that sin and so taken away the meanes to punish it Nor can they prove that the King hath promised any more to Papists then the Parliament hath already granted to fornicatours In their after-notes where they make repetition of this matter they referre the Reader to Paper the 8. for their ground of it In which we finde the King relating to His Queen how the English Rebells had transmitted the Commands of Ireland from the Crowne of England to the Scots an expression worthy by the way to be observed by all Englishmen that regard the honour of their Nation considering that the King Himself is a Scot and that the men of Westminster intend if they cannot kill Him to thrust Him and His Children as some of their Hang-bies have whispered to His Ancient Inheritance in Scotland when they have made use of His People of that Nation to help to destroy His Kingly Power here not one Scot of them all shall have any footing or any more to doe in this Kingdome I say considering this every true Englishman hath cause most highly to reverence the King for His Justice unto and His care of the dignity of the English Crown But to proceed the King tells His Queen that by that Act that base and ignoble act He found Reformation of the Church not to be as they pretended the end of this Rebellion and concludes it would be no piety but presumption rather in Himselfe not to use all lawfull meanes to maintaine His righteous Cause And as one mean to that purpose not thought of before He gives His Queen leave to promise in His Name that all penall Lawes in England against Roman Catholicks shall be taken away as soone sayes He as God shall inable me to doe it upon this Conditiion so as by their meanes I may have so powerfull assistance as may deserve so great a favour and inable me to doe it Now how truly from these words that accusation is collected let the Readers Judge Here they see is no absolute grant or tolleration of Idolatry as they pretend but only a conditionary promise of withdrawing the penall Statutes against the Papists His Subjects if by their meanes He may be delivered from this bloudy raging and malicious persecution of the Puritans and settled in His power and throne again And well may the Papists expect as much favour from the King for such a service as Adulterers have had already from the Parliament gratis Nor perhaps
meanes the land is restored to tranquility and the King to his Crown and dignity For doubtlesse the Religion of the Papists is as dear to them as the Religion of Miles Corbet Edmund Prideaux and Zouch Tate the three chief examiners of the Kings Letters is to them and may with as little detriment to any Church or State be tollerated And besides the Penalty which the King promiseth to take away is not as I conceive to be levied upon the Papists meerely because such for it may be exacted upon others also though of another Religion if they be guilty of these particulars Scil. if they shall refuse to take the Oath of Supremacy and Allegeance to the King 2. If they shall Raise disturbance in the Church or State 3. If they shall Seduce the Kings Subjects from their Religion and Obedience 4. If they shall Refuse to come to Church once in a month at least or to hear Divine service 5. If they shall many of them together Keep private Conventicles and meetings in such cases onely as I conceive the Laws are in force against Papists and against all men else as equally of what Religion soever Wherefore let any man of understanding and justice speak whether these fault-finders themselves be not under the same Penalties as deeply as ever were the Papists Have not they renounced the Oath of Supremacie and Allegeance to the King by making a new Oath and placing the Supremacy in the Heads of their faction Have not they raised such distractions and Rebellions in Church and State as the like was never known Have not they had their private meetings in all places of the Kingdome and seduced thousands of the Kings Subjects from their duty and obedience Do not they refuse to come to Common-Prayer Nay have they not Abolished the same out of Churches that no man at all might come unto it May they doing these things and indeavouring the Kings destruction withall be freed from the Penalty of these Laws And may not the Papists remaining in their due obedience and assisting their Soveraigne against his Enemies according both to Law and duty reasonably enjoy the same freedome though peradventure they come short of one of the particulars which perhaps too is not so much out of Malice as in these others but out of ignorance and mis-information and that is not coming to Common-Prayer to which neither can they come now if they had a mind because it is taken away by those very men who would have the Statutes still in force against the Papists for not allowing of that which themselves with all contempt and scorn have abolished But in the last Page of their Notes they Object in this case also the Kings resolution and promise not to Abolish these Lawes but to joyn with his Parliament in suppression of Popery In answer to which let what hath been said already be well remembred and withall how they that call themselves His Parliamant have not suffered the King to concurre with them but have opposed and persecuted him ever since he declared that his Resolution to the end he might not be able to pursue the same Yea How themselves have compelled him in the continuance of his affliction to do that which they cry out upon him for have endeavoured all they could to force him further had not a great measure of Divine grace upholden him He may justly complaine of them as David did of some in his time They have driven me out from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other gods They have done what they could to violence him from his Religion and to force him to be a Papist according as they voiced him Never Prince had greater temptations and inforcements yet never Prince was more constant in his Religion blessed be the Majesty of Heaven for him A perpetuall disgrace will it questionlesse be to Protestant Religion in the eyes of all the world beside that any pretending to it should shew themselves so unworthy as to suffer so gratious a Prince to stand in need of Papists to defend him much more that they should by ill usage force him with such promises to seek their ayd but that they should accuse him also for doing the same after they have inforced him to it we must needs cry out O nullo scelus credibile in aevo quodque posteritas neget the Height of their villany is the only advantage they have that it wil not be believed by posterity Wel I say let all those particulars be thought upon by all sober men of this Age and if they be not sufficient in their judgments to plead the King Excusable in this case then let them remember as they were advised before that the King is a man as others are and in his extremity he declared himself to be the Son of David and the Son of Abraham SECT XVIII 1. The Kings granting indempnity to the murderous Irish another Slander The necessity and Reasons of the Kings yeilding to a Peace at that time with the Irish And the Conditions upon which that Peace was to be granted This Act not contradictive to any of his former expressions against their detestable doings 2. The Vanity of their Charge against the King for going in a close trading way Two sufficient Evidences of His Majesties sincere and constant affection to the Protestant Religion 3. The whole Charge against the King most truly retorted upon the Objectors WE come now to the fourth particular in their Charge which is say they granting indempnity to the murderous Irish. This is collected as they tel us in their after-notes from the Kings Letters to Ormund Pap. 16. 17. 18. 19. in all which I assure the world there is no such word or phrase to be found as I wil or I do grant indempnity to the murderous Irish Indeed I find therein his Majesty consenting to a peace with the Irish and he sets down the reasons necessitating him thereunto which these honest Observatours have totally omitted to take notice of lest there should have bin no appearance of blame at all in their accusation in which they do altogether as wisely as Satan did when he spake Scripture to our Saviour for he did omit but only so much of the sentence as would if expressed have made that part alleaged nothing to his purpose And of this all men shal judge for I wil set down in the Kings own words the grounds moving him to write to that purpose unto Ormund Paper 16. Ormund THe impossibility of preserving my Protestant Subjects in Ireland by a continuation of the War hath moved me to give you these powers and directions that is one ground A 2. follows in these words It being now manifest that the English Rebels have as far as in them lyeth given the Command of Ireland to the Scots that their aym is at a total subversion of Religion and regal power and that nothing else wil content them or purchase Peace
here I think my self bound in Conscience not to let slip the means of setling that Kingdom if it may be fully under my Obedience Now if to preserve the lives of Protestant Subjects impossible otherwise to be done if to keep Religion and Regal Power from subversion be not two sufficient grounds to excuse at least a Christian Prince in a disabled condition for the Consenting to a present Peace with the vilest Murderers in the World I know not what is Yea and beside if the Conditions be observed which the King in his low estate requires to have this Peace granted upon perhaps they may speak the same very commendable 1. It must be such a Peace as must not be against His Conscience and Honour 2. The Penal laws against Appeals to Rome and Premunire must stil stand The Accusers themselves confesse these two 3. It must be on this Condition or so far forth as the Irish remain in their due Obedience to him and lend him their faithful assistance against his enemies as becometh Subjects This is apparent Paper 19. However these Calumniatours please to interpret to me it seemeth that this Peace with the Irish is like that which Solomon made with Shimei That wise King laid such an injunction upon him for the grant of his life as he foresaw he was likely to break and so would come afterward to a due punishment of his former offences and even so hath our King done in that his grant for doubtlesse it is as hard a thing for the Irish to abstain from appealing to Rome or to continue long in their due obedience as it was for Shimei to forbear going to Gath when he heard his servant was run thither and by that time the King through Gods assistance may be able to do justice upon them according to their merits Kings what ever people think have choice spirits differing from those of other men are better guided as being in a special sort in Gods hand which directs them in using a connivent lenity where a sharp insight or notice may work a greater damage for the present In matters of Government which every one that can find fault with skilleth not in such accidents fall out somtime that the Prince must not stand to ask what may be done by law but must do what is necessary to be done in that case If a Cholerick man as one saies be about to strike I must not go about to purge his Choller but to break his blow So doth the King in this case He labours to break the blows of the Murderous Irish that they may fall no longer so heavy upon his Protestant Subjects Time was when He would have gone in person to have purged their Choller and to let them bloud and so have redeemed his poor afflicted people from their fury in a more Kingly way only his good Subjects here that take upon them to command him would not give him leave so to do wherefore he must now do as he may and not as he would And surely if those Abbots of Westminster that sit there at ease fatted with the wealth and pleasures of the Kingdom sporting themselves with reports of bloud and slaughter had but any sensible feeling of those miseries which our poor Protestant Brethren in Ireland do indure by the continuation of that War they would be glad of a peace upon any condition so it were but with the enjoyment of Conscience and Religion But they as is conceived were the first kindlers of the fire there thereby to gain advantage to themselves of raising combustions here and as their phrase so their fashion is to go through with the work Ergo til there be a total ruine and desolation of all they wil admit of no peace in either Kingdom wherefore the King as the case then stood went the only right way at that present by a pacification with the rebellious Irish to inable himself to suppresse the rebellious English those roots of war and seeds-men of sedition and so to recover a Capacity sufficient to correct all offenders and settle a firm tranquility among all his Subjects But these Accusers at the end of their Notes Pag. 55. do object divers of the Kings expressions against the doings of the Irish which as they apprehend this his consent to agree with them did contradict His words say they once were these We hope the lamentable Condition of Ireland wil invite us to a fair intelligence and unity that we may with one heart intend the relieving and recovering of that unhappy Kingdome where those barbarous Rebels practice such inhumane and unheard-of outrages upon our miserable people that no Christian eare can hear without Horrour nor Story parallel And at another time say they thus the King speaketh We conjure all our Subjects by the bonds of Love Duty and Obedience that are precious to good men to joyn with us for the recovery of that Kingdom Also in July say they at the Siege of Hull He conjures both Houses as they wil Answer the contrary to Almighty God to unite their force or recovery of Ireland And in December the King answers some Irish Protestants thus Since the beginning of that monstrous Rebellion I have had no greater sorrow then for the bleeding Condition of that Kingdom Truly their bare repetitions of these pathetical expressions and desires of their Soveraign with which themselves were no whit moved to unite with him in so pious and Charitable a work doth plainly discover them to be none of that number of good men whom the King conjured nor to have any fear in their hearts of Almighty God And doing the same to this end viz. as they hope to disgrace the King who at the end of their relation they blush not to tax for his laying the blame of the Irish miseries upon the Parliament i. e. upon the faction so called which if he should not do he would sin highly against God and the Truth I say to repeat those his expressions to this end as they do doth witnesse them to be given up to Reprobate sense and to remain in the most hardened condition of impenitency And thus have I done also with the fourth particular There remains now only to observe the other Circumstances annexed to this their Charge for aggravation taken from the manner of working whereby these things are said to be effected in a close trading way and from the end for meer particular advantage I shal answer both these together in a word thus The King writes Letters to his Wife and his Wife to him again wherin they communicate their hearts and minds to each other Now because they did not shew those their Letters to the faction at Westminster before they sent them and crave their approbation of what they had written therefore they are here accused to go in a close trading way and to ayme at their own particular advantage by certain men who as must be supposed did never do any
four things scil Of Clandestine proceedings against the Honour and being of Parliament Of condemning all that be Protestants in any degree Of granting a Tolleration to Idolaters And of indempnity to Murderers or that goes in a close trading way to effect those things for meer particular advantage cannot be defended by any but such as deserve the imputation of the worst men And therefore I am of opinion that all those who take upon them to defend the men now above-board who under the name of Parliament have not only undermined the King their Soveraign but also the Parliament it self in destroying its Priviledges which they pretend to stand for who have condemned all to be Popishly affected that are in any degree Protestants at Oxford calling them by the odious names of Malignants Papists Devils and Dogs who have not only granted a Tolleration of Idolatry but set it up and persecuted with fire and sword banishment and confiscation all that wil not commit the same themselves whom they call the Parliament are the Idol whom all the people of the Kingdom must fall down unto and worship who have also granted indempnity to the murderous Irish. For I would have them but speak out and say of what Nation and Religion their Plunket is of Nay let them tell the world if they dare what promises have been made from them by their Instruments in a close trading way unto that Plunket and Muskerry whom they Tax their King for shewing countenance unto upon condition they would but sit still and not helpe their Soveraign Who also have further yet in a close trading way cozened us their fellow Subjects of all we had that was dear unto us our Religion Liberty Peace Wealth and Friends for their own meere particular advantage that themselves might rule alone and bear the sway over our Soveraign and our selves over our Consciences and Estates which they spoile and sell away according to their pleasures I say I doe verily beleeve that whoever they be that shall take upon them to defend these men under what colour and pretences soever are as bad as the worst of men yea falser then the Papists then the Jesuites But we will listen now to what these men adde farther they say Hitherto the English have had Commission to Chastize the Irish and the Irish have had the like to Chastize the English both have spilt each others bloud by the Kings Warrant yet as both hath been in part owned so both hath been in part disowned and the King himself hath not appeared with open face in the Businesse SECT XIX 1. The Enemies malitious devises to Scandalize the King with favouring the Irish Rebellion detected and confuted 2. The Kings requiring secresie of the Queen and Ormond in the matters writ to them Justified The Libellers Blasphemy against Gods Providence â—and in as king Gods Blessing upon their Libell noted THe English have had Commission to Chastize the Rebellious Irish and the Irish have had the like to Chastize the Rebellious English both have spilt each others bloud by the Kings warrant and what harm is there in all this The King is the Minister of God and bears the sword sayes the Apostle to execute wrath upon them that do evill and therefore so far forth as the same hath been managed to the punishment of Rebellion whether by English or by Irish under his command and Authority the King hath with open face owned it But in as much as the same hath been used by the one or other against himself His Crown and Dignity against the Law against His Loyall Protestant subjects to the hurt or damage of them and their Religion the King hath both secretly and publikly disowned ever and still doth For why should he sinne against God His own Conscience and honour in taking upon himselfe the scandall of others doings as those that call themselves his great and wise Councell desire he should who themselves commit the sinne and would have him beare all the blame for this is their way of Honouring their Soveraigne in the eyes of His people And to this purpose when at first by decolation of Strafford the Irish Governour they had put that wild and unruly people into a fit Capacity and proximate potentia of Rebelling and perhaps too in their close trading way wherein for their own particular advantage they are of all men living most skilfull had helped to draw that power into Act to the end the people of this Kingdom whom they were to use to another purpose might not so soon suspect them guilty of so much evill they published abroad that the Rebells in Ireland had the Kings warrant for all their bloudy doings to put some colour upon this devilish slander they printed certain examinations as they cal'd them of certain inferior men women who reported as they tell that they heard some say they heard from others who received it perhaps from 3. or 4. persons that some Commanders among the Irish Rebells had affirmed that themselves had the Kings Commission for what they did Which thing if any of the Irish Rebells did say or affirme what wonder is it do not all Rebells use to pretend the best authority for their own wicked doings have not even they of Westminster themselves rais'd all their forces of men and monies against the Kings person under the Kings own name was not the King and Parliament the onely word in use with them at the first though now the Kings name is left out for they apprehend the people to be so deeply lock'd with themselves in guilt and bloud that they dare not leave them I dare boldly affirme it that many thousands of our English had never been ingulpfed in those Rebellious wayes wherein they are had they at first but been acquainted with the devises of Rebellious Heads but now things are come to that height that they know not how to disingage themselves without a present ruine from them who have engaged them But hence I say it plainly appeares to be no wonder if the Irish Rebels did pretend the Kings Authority also in the beginning of their accursed undertaking though whether they did or no I cannot tell for I did not hear them only this I am sure of that they who published and printed those reports in this Kingdome did hope thereby to work as indeed they did a disaffection in many people against their Soveraigne that so themselves might be strengthned with their concurrence in their intended project against him and all his friends that sided with him with whom I may affirme they have even dealt as the Cyclops in Homer did with Ulisses and his Associates who findeing no reason to misuse them yet having a great desire to feed upon them would needs perswade that they were Pyrats So these not knowing any sufficient reason to quarrell with the King and his friends or to stir up the people against them yet having a great hunger after
themselves in the hearts of these very men and of their Masters at Westminster that they may look with better eyes then ever yet they have done upon Charles their Soveraign whose honour they have pierced and may have better breathings then ever they have had after Christ their Saviour whose Gospel they have scandalized Amen SECT XX. What good use might have been made of these Letters Of the faults laid unto the Queenes Charge specially in loving her Husband I Have done with their Prologue to the Kings Letters and in a manner with their Annotations upon them too which for the most part containe but the same over againe with the mixture of more malice therefore in examining the one I have also in a sort dispatched the other Nor doe I love any more then needs must to busie my selfe in repetitions There are I confesse a few particulars in these their Annotations which as I remember have not been touched upon in the discussion of the former Generall these I shall cull out and only shew them which will be enough and so leave them to the world to be judged of They begin at the end of the Kings Papers their Observations thus Much use may be made of these Precedent Papers and many things therein will appear very worthy our notice In which they speak truth and had not themselves been of too spiderous a nature they might have made much good use of them indeed and have noted from them such dexterity of understanding such undantednesse of resolution such fortitude of spirit in adversity such conjugall faith and affections such paternall care and pitty to his people and such true Christian patience and piety to be in their Soveraigne as cannot be altogether Paralell'd at this day in any Prince of Christendome In a word these Papers speak our King to be compleatly a Councellour a Souldier a Gentleman and a Scholler and had he but trusted to himself more and lesse to the advice of others in the management of his Affaires thousands of his Subjects from these his Letters are most confident that his enemies had not now been triumphant But the notice of such mattters serveth not the turnes of these men nor can their coloured eyes see any thing of this nature in these Letters faults and errors only are thought worthy their observance of which they fancy they have espied great plenty in the King and Queen both The Queens faults though for shew sake they have branched them out into many particulars may all be reduced to one and that is Loving of her Husband Indeed they begin their Complaints against Her with saying She is implacable to our Religion Nation Government but they can instance neither in word or action to make the same appear conjecturall only they tell us afterward of her great care that our Bishops be provided for and the blessing of God be upon her for it they hope that people doe still beleeve that Bishops were enemies to all good and therefore if the Queen doth but manifest any respect to them in their present affliction and persecution it doth sufficiently speak her implacablenesse to our Religion Nation Government Well I wish with my soul that the men of Westminster had proved themselves no worse affected to our Religion Nation and Government then the Queen hath done for then I am sure they had all still been in a most flourishing and happy Condition But the Queen being the Kings Wife must help to bear her Husbands Burden of blame as well as Sorrow even as it shall please these His vassalls to cast it on Her Indeed they tell us also afterward out of Paper 27. that the Queen desires the disbanding of the Parliament in which perhaps they would have her thought an Enemy to our Religion Nation Government But we shall first read Her words and then we may judge whether they import such an interpretation the Queen writing to the King from York saith I understand to day from London that they will have no cessation and that they treat at the beginning of the two first Articles and afterward of the disbanding of the Army certainly I wish a peace more then any and that with greater reason but I would the disbanding of the perpetuall Parliament first and certainly the rest will be easily afterwards I doe not say this of mine own head alone for generally those that are for you and against you in this Country wish an end of it These be the Queenes words entirely She desires a peace more then any and in order to that she wisheth a disbanding of the perpetuall Parliament because otherwise peace is never likely to be had and this is not the judgement of herselfe alone but of all in generall that are both for and against the King in that Country wherefore if this be an Argument of the Queenes enmity against our Religion Nation Government then all those that are both for and against the King in that County of York-shire are Enemies as well as she because they joyne with her in wishing an end to the Warre and restoration of peace unto the Kingdome But by the way I wonder why they should Tax the Queen with implacablenesse to our Government is not that of our nation Monarchiall and that of our Church Episcopall and her Husband the Head and upholder of both can the Queen then be beleeved to be disaffected to either of these the men doubtlesse have lost their senses together with their Loyalty Concerning her Majesties affection to our Religion and Nation let me be bold though one of the meanest upon this occasion to give a Testimony unto my Country-men from mine own experience Those English Protestants who have been in France in these times of persecution cannot but witnesse the same with me and say That the Queen hath been to the uttermost of her power a most tender carefull nursing Mother both to our Religion and Nation in that her Native Kingdome for by her sole meanes and great industry we had places allowed us to meet together to serve God in even publickly after the English manner in each of which Gods Word was faithfully Preached on the Lords Day and truly read together with Divine Service twice a day throughout the week wherunto she was careful that her own Servants of our Nation and Religion whereof she hath many should duly and constantly resort which great priviledge and favour to us was looked on with much regret and spleen by some Jesuited Papists who wickedly reproached Her Majesty for the same exclaiming upon her for a Lutheran and a Protestant even because she had manifested such love to our Nation and Religion in providing for us these Sinagogues which rebukes and reproaches she good Princesse was content for our sakes to bear with meeknesse and patience undoubtedly it may be easily believed from this sweetnesse and goodnesse of her nature after her receipt of so many abuses from some amongst us that had our
deportments towards her been such as our Religion commandeth she might ere this in all probabilities have preferred the same before her own even as she hath done our Nation many have heard her at a wel furnished Table say one of these Dishes in England with my Husband and Children might I but enjoy it there in peace would please me better and be sweeter to me then all this plenty in this place So great is her affection to our Nation whose great ingratitude and unkindnesse to her so unbecoming the Gospel the Lord pardon Let the Reader pardon this digression her Majesties wronged Innocence and the truth did extort it from me I return now to her Accusers from whom I learn That her Majesties main and proper fault is Loving her Husband and this I confesse they Evidence at large from many quotatious out of her several Letters as first they say she performs the office of a Resident for him in France and is restlesse even to the neglect of her own health to assist him against them his Enemies 2. She vows they say to die by famine rather then fail him in her faithful endevours 3. She confines not her Agency to France but sollicites other Princes also for shipping in his aid 4. She sends Armes into Scotland to Mountrosse and many such like particulars they alleage which doth abundantly evidence this her fault of loving her Husband Nay and the most heinous matter of all is the Counsels which she gives him namely to be suspicious in his Treaties with them who have deceived him so much already to take heed of his own safety amongst them and not to think himself safe any longer then he defends his friends that have served him for which they quote Pap. 31. these they call Counsels of very pernicious Consequence of which nature also is that manifestation of her Judgment that peace cannot be safe to the King without a Regiment for his Guard a la mode de France say they they might as wel have said a la mode du Parliament and of all this they alleage their punctual proofs out of these Letters wherefore 't is very plain that the Queen is guilty of a most dear and tender affection to the King her Husband and in order to him she desires the welfare of all his friends and for this cause is deemed by these men a fit object of abuse and hatred But truly if I did not evidently see them to be given up to blindnesse of mind by reason of that malice which is in them I should much admire at their folly in these their exceptions against the Queen I dare say that Henry Burtons Wife or John Basticks Wife might have done ful as much for their husbands when time was had they bin in a like capacity and bin no whit blamed by these men for the same Nay they should have been commended rather for such Testimonies of their faithfulnesse and affection O but the Queens fortune is to be the Kings Wife and therefore she must not look to find such grace and favour in the eyes of these jolly men as to have that in her not censured for a fault which in mean women is entitled virtue Nay I am further confident that if this truly royal Mary Wife to our Soveraign Charls had like that Queen Isabella wife to our Edward the 2d. joyned issue with some of the Enemies against the King her Husband she should have bin in as high account with these as that other was with the Rebels of those days her difference in Religion should have bred no dis-affection at all in them towards her for 't is not so much an unity in that which they desire and aime at as to all is plainly apparent from that multiplicity of Religions allowed amongst them if there be but a facile community another way in things more sensible it wil abundantly serve the turn to give satisfaction to these blessed Reformers But because the Queen is Chara fidaque marito dear and faithful to her Lord and Husband therefore must she be exclaimed upon and hated yea hunted and forced out of the Kingdom by certain wise and wel-bred Gentlemen as they would be accounted that rule the rost at Westminster who if they could but lay hands upon her would also murder her for with open mouth they have charged her already with no lesse then Treason Treason against the New-state forsooth even for her affectionate adherence unto the King her Husband in these times of his affliction Observe it I beseech you and consider well of it O all ye Princes and Nobles of the world and all you that are true Gentlemen of what Nation and Kingdome soever and say whether you ever read or heard of the like Behold here a most Royall Lady of most noble and high Vertues and incomparable parts Great Henries Daughter Sister to the late French King and Aunt unto the present and Queen of England who hath been defamed sclandered reviled railed upon shot at persecuted and driven to banishment brought upon the publick Stage for a Traitour condemned and threatned with death and forced to fly into other Countries to preserve her selfe in being like that woman in the Revelation from the face of the Dragon and all this onely for her faithfulnesse and loyal affections to her Husband in his distresse consider of this thing I beseech you and speak your minds And you my Country-men of England in general examine your thoughts and then say Hocciâ—e est Humanum factum aut inceptum Is there any Generosity nay any Humanity in such dealings Can you imagine that such demeanours towards such a personage will be ever chronicled to our Nations praise or read by posterity with approbation Was ever such harsh and hellish usage offered by the hands of English men before now to a daughter of France Duke Reiners Daughter Wife to that good though most unfortunate King Henry the 6. was used much better by Richard the third she had no such despights offered to her person because a woman and though she brought much forrein aid into the Kingdome yet was she not as I read ever accused of Treason for the same she was raâ—her interpreted to have done thereby her proper duty to her Husband no man I am sure can say that our Protestant Religion allows of this behaviour or that our holy Mother Church did ever feed any of her Children with such nourishment as should cause them to break out into such exorbitancies Her milk was alwaies seasoned with the Doctrines of Humility Reverence Civility Gentlenesse Affability and gratiousnesse of conversation to people of all sorts even to inferiours and to enemies Much more to superiours and to friends Surely if this our once most generous and courteous Nation had not now in too great a measure layed aside common Humanity as well as grace were there but this one reason which I shall name it would be abundantly enough to make this Queen most dear
These two last lines were scraped by Miles Corbet the Examiner for the Printer to put into a different Character that the Reader might the better observe the Kings fault in them But fearing the dulnesse of mens Capacities if let alone to themselves these quick-scented Note-mongers have put too their helping hand and Collected from them that the King professes to prefer the Queens Health before the Exigence and importance of his own publick Affaires and they hope that people will from hence believe that he prefers his private Affections to his Wife before the care of the whole Common-wealth and therefore will judge it very fit that he be not onely put by his Office for that he is already by his new Masters at Westminster but also kept out for ever and never trusted more with any Affaires of importancy And further they accuse him for avowing Constancy to his Wife and as they expresse it to Her grounds and documents which they would have the Reader apprehend to be to whatsoever the Queen had already or hereafter should propound unto him concerning Religion and the Government of the Common-wealth to which purpose also they say that His Counsels are wholly managed by the Queen though She be of the weaker Sex born an Alien bred up in a contrary Religion yet nothing great or small say they is transacted without her privity and Consent And for this they quote Paper 38. by all which it is apparent they would have it believed that as divers mens Wives being of Masterly dispositions do take upon them to command their Husbands so the Queen doth take it upon her to rule the King and all his Affaires and as many men have submitted themselves to their Wives yoake so hath the King yeilded up himself to his Queens direction and therefore they hope that people have wit enough to conclude from hence that it is not fit the Government of this Church and Kingdom should remain in such hands as heretofore but rather in the hands of his Great and Wise Counsel who are men all of this Nation and bred up in the Protestant Religion and so fitter in all respects then the Queen is Who is one of the weaker sex born an Alien and bred up in a contrary Religion This mischievous suggestion if swallowed for a truth may be of dangerous consequent and therefore I hold it necessary to shew the falsity of it which I shall plainly do both from these letters which these Calumniators have published for their own pernitious purpose and also from their own very words and confessions in another place of these their Annotations 1. The Queen is far from that disposition to take upon Her to rule Her Husband wholly and in all things as they would have it beleeved for the direct Contrary is most apparent in Paper 29. where She submits Her self wholly to His direction and desires Him to send Her His commands concerning a particular business that She was requested to write about affirming that She neither would nor durst do any thing in it without His direction Her words are these I thought it to be a matter of so great ingagement that I dare not do it without your Commnad therefore if it please you that I should do so send me what you would have me write that I may not doe more then what you appoint Had She been of such an imperious spirit towards Her Husband as these Her back-friends report Her and would have Her supposed surely She had never writ so like an obedient Wife for His Commands and particular directions Thus the Queen is cleared Secondly Neither is the King as they suggest of so subjective a Nature as to submit His affaires wholly to His Wives guidance were She as She is not ambitious of the same He is more a man then to forget himself to be an Husband if the 34. Paper be observed it will be clearly Evident that the King was never so weakly uxorious no not the first year of His marriage when in most men affection prevaileth over judgement as to lose any whit of His Husbandly Authority in matters of Houshold Government He would not consent to any thing though of private concernment which was either unfit for Her as a Wife to undertake or for himself as an Husband to permit and is there any liklyhood He should now have submitted all His publick Affaires and Kingly Councells wholly to Her managemeet and disposall no man of wisdome or reason can beleeve it If that which is intimated in the said Letter concerning the Queens disposition when She was young and yet unacquainted with Her Husbands instructions be compared with Her present dependance upon his Commands already proved and that abundant readinesse now in Her to do Him service which these men so tax and blame Her for there will appeare to every Eye not onely the Kings Pious discretion and the Queens Godly obedience but also Gods gratious blessing of his endeavours upon Her spirit and doubtlesse this inward benefit received from him is a ground of Her more strong and fervent affection towards him and makes Her resolve rather to neglect her own health yea to die by Famine then to be failing in Her Negotiations for Him A full compliance in all things but rarely found between man and wife at their first meeting nor is the same so perfectly effected afterward in many persons as is evident to be in this Royall paire for either the Husband wants that Wisdome and care to work it which the King had or the Wife that goodnesse of disposition to be wrought upon as was in the Queen I could name some Lords and Gentlemen too amongst the Kings enemies who were never so notable for wit or honesty as to seek their Wives Conformity in this Christian way as their Prince hath done But I spare them now and return to the thing in hand It is probable at least by this time that the Kings Councels rule the Queen and not the Queens Him as these slanderers say but to put the matter quite out of doubt let us listen to what these very men say themselves to this purpose in the next Page where among other railing expressions against the King forgetting what they had said before they affirm that as He surpasseth the Queen in Acts of Hostility so in the way of managing the same scil with more close and deep secresie and a little after they tell us that He urgeth the Queen to make personall friendship with the Queen of France they do not like the word friendship and say they He doth furnish the Queen with dexterous polliâ—ies and Arguments to work upon the Ministers of State in France All which as I apprehend puts the plain lie upon that their former Charge which they had took such paines about to collect from the fifth and 38. Papers which now also wee will looke into for the further manifestation of their Honestie The fifth Paper from whence they collect that